Ryu's Journal
by Ryu Taylor the Ferret
Summary: Just a journal Ryu Taylor writes about a variety of topics. Reviews are included (needless to say, reviews have spoilers in them).
1. May 5, 2014 - Nothing Happened

May 5, 2014

* * *

Wel, I just got a journal app for my 3DS, and sins Brain Age tot me how to rite, I figgered I mite as wel use this app. So, I'll be using this journal to rite abot wat happens here in the Littlest Pet Shop Day Camp.

Today, nothing much happened. Just a normal day. So boring, I slept a lot. Couldn't wate to get home to finish waching a show I had to pause when I was dropped off here. I hop tomorrow will be more intersting.

* * *

**A/N: As a ferret, Ryu doesn't have the advanced spelling skills of a human.  
**


	2. May 6, 2014 - Sailor Moon season 1

5-6-2014 - Sailor Moon season 1

* * *

First things first: I had Russell spell-check this entry for me.

With that out of the way, I have a pop quiz for you all: who fights evil by moonlight and wins love by daylight? Answer: she is the one named Sailor Moon!

I love my technical ingenuity. I figured out how to wire the TV to play what's on my 3DS, so I just use the YouTube app to show videos to the other pets. For the past two weeks, I've been showing Sailor Moon episodes to the other pets, some of whom like it, and some don't. And by "some don't", I mean Vinnie. Zoe was initially turned off by Serena's hairdo, but found aspects of the show to like (although she still can't get over the hairdo). And since I'm about to finish the second season (I'm watching the show at home, too), I figured I'd give my thoughts on the first season (the Dark Kingdom arc as it's known in Japanese; in English, it's called the Negaverse arc). As of this entry, I have only seen the English dub and have only very basic knowledge of what was changed between languages, which I'll get into later. As such, I will be calling the characters by their dub names (i.e.: Serena instead of Usagi, Malachite instead of Kunzite, etc.).

I'll start by saying that I think this show is the best girly show I've ever seen. This show is a go-to example to make a girly thing epic (after all, it's said to be an inspiration for such franchises as Tokyo Mew Mew, Powerpuff Girls, and even My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic; don't quote me on that). I've heard it said that this was the first Magical Girl show that had said magical girls fighting against actual villains rather than Barbie-ing around. Even if this wasn't the first show of that genre to do that, it was the codifier of it.

At first, it may seem annoying that Serena is an airheaded wimp, even when she assumes the identity of Sailor Moon. But, looking back, that is a bit of a refreshing concept to have the main character not start out as a brave, invincible juggernaut (after all, look how well that worked for the partner character in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon – Explorers of Sky). It created a character arc for Sailor Moon to grow into her job as a warrior, and live up to what's expected of her. As an example, she goes from crying and whining in the corner in the beginning to taking out Malachite in just one shot in episode 39 (which, so far, is my favorite Sailor Moon moment). It helps that she has such great friends in the form of the other Sailor Scouts to help out, as well as the mysterious Tuxedo Mask. And although they're not dwelled on nearly as much as Sailor Moon's, the other scouts' character arcs were interesting to experience (too bad the dub cut out one of the most interesting ones, although there was a more-than-justified reason for that).

This one season has five arcs, which I'll be naming after the villains that oversaw them. Episodes 1 to 10 were the Jedite arc, episodes 11 to 20 were the Nephlite arc, episodes 21 to 31 were the Zoicite arc, and episodes 32 to 39 were the Malachite arc, which left episode 40 to be the Queen Beryl/Metalia arc. To be honest, the season starts showing its best stuff after Jedite dies (which meant the end of the repetitive formula of, as The Nostalgia Critic put it, "please get in this evil device which is in no way an evil device. Joke's on you, it was an evil device!") and out of all of them, the Zoicite arc was my favorite (even though my overall favorite season 1 episode was episode 39). In that arc alone, we got two more Sailor Scouts (Jupiter and Venus), Artemis, the emergence of Princess Serena and the Imperium Silver Crystal, and some of the most impressive scenarios of the show (as well as the most hilarious episode IMO, the one about the alley cats; that's episode 27, if you're wondering). Not to mention Zoicite is one serious baddie. See, my top-ranked villains are based on how much I hated them. Zoicite is in the top five of that category. She never, ever fights fair, she always resorts to the cheapest possible tactic, and she was even willing to deliberately disobey her queen in the name of revenge (bonus points for lying right to Queen Beryl's face about it; too bad for her that her queen didn't buy it for a second).

As I've said before, I only saw this season in English. That is, with just one exception. I had mentioned that there was a character-focused episode that the dub cut out for a very good reason (for the record, I'm on the dub's side of this issue). You see, it told a bit about what Sailor Venus was doing before joining up with the other Sailor Scouts, and it mentioned that she got a boyfriend while she was in London. Well, after an accident happens that causes said boyfriend (as well as another woman who Venus was good friends with) to assume she had died, the boyfriend hooks up with the other lady (named Katarina), and although it greatly upsets Venus, she decides that it's better that those two be happy together than cause a love triangle complex. But that wasn't why the dub skipped this episode. Malachite turns Katarina into the episode's monster, and although Sailor Moon at this point has the power to heal people and turn them back from monsters back into their real selves, hearing about the breakup causes her to not want to. So instead, she comes at Katarina with her tiara. That's the reason why this episode was skipped: it wouldn't look good to America for a kid show's hero to contemplate cold-blooded murder (of which Sailor Moon was talked out of by Sailor Venus, which showed a very strong moral ethic; she holds no grudge against Katarina for taking her boyfriend from her. Also kudos to Sailor Moon for obliging Venus's request.).

(Sorry to sound like Tumblr, but TRIGGER WARNING for romantic preference for this next part): One well-known change from this season (which was so significant that it named the "She's a Man in Japan" trope on TVTropes) was the changing of Zoicite's gender. Of course, he already had a feminine appearance, so the dub could get away with making him a woman (all they had to do was cast a female VA for the part; no animation edits necessary). This was done in order to change his homosexual relationship with Malachite into a heterosexual relationship. Although this wouldn't be nearly as famous a case as when the dub made cousins out of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune (from season 3), instead of a lesbian couple like they were in Japanese. I think the reason why the Zoicite/Malachite coverup was less famous was because they weren't biologically related in any language. So when Uranus and Neptune became cousins, people cried "INCEST!" at the dub. And honestly, I gotta admit that it was a really stupid move on the dub's part, even though I haven't gotten to that part yet. To me, incest is more wrong than homosexuality is.

But by far the biggest change to season 1 was the season finale. In Japanese, it was a two-parter. In English, it was just one part, and boy did the dub hide a lot. To put the Japanese version of the finale into a famous Patrick Starr quote: "Everyone died. The end." No joke; the Sailor Scouts all died in that finale. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus all get killed by Queen Beryl's remaining soldiers (the Doom and Gloom Girls), and only Sailor Moon makes it into the Negaverse castle to face Queen Beryl. And then, after turning the brainwashed Tuxedo Mask back to normal, he dies shortly after attacking Beryl. And then, Sailor Moon dies after killing Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia's fused form. As I've never seen the Japanese episodes, I don't know what brought them all back to life (except for Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia; they stay dead). I read on the Sailor Moon wiki that they all really did die, and five girls in their exact image returned to the world. So, reincarnation, maybe? It'll be clear once I start seeing Japanese episodes.

Anyway, Sailor Moon's first season was quite an experience. And once I finish the second season ,expect an entry on that.

Sailor Moon season 1: 90/100

* * *

**A/N: Fun fact: Mew from my third Hope and Faith saga story was based on Zoicite. Also, my apologies to those who take issue with everything I said regarding the Zoicite and Malachite and the Uranus and Neptune coverups.**


	3. May 22, 2014 - Hiatus Explanation

5-22-14 - An Explanation

* * *

For those of you wondering why there's been such a long hiatus, it's because we had to wait until we got a new TV for the Day Camp. You see, it got broken on the morning of May 10th. And by that, I mean I got angry at the program airing that morning and I threw my 3DS at the TV and knocked it over. The 3DS was quickly replaced (and I still have all my data, since I removed the SD Card from my old one before I broke it over the TV), but the TV took a bit longer. Plus, I had to go above and beyond to get everyone's respect back. We all agreed never to have "My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic" playing on TV near me ever again, lest we lose _this_ TV, too. Once I leave, everyone else will finally find out how season 4 ended. Personally, I couldn't care less. All I'm focused on is finishing the second season of Sailor Moon (aka the season "The Crystal Empire" desperately tried to be, only to fail worse than this new season's attempt to emulate the final battle of "Avatar - the Last Airbender") so that I can properly review it. Hopefully that will happen soon.

* * *

**A/N: Ryu's much more cynical than I am. I'm only being facetious when I make those outrageous claims that MLPFiM ripped off Sailor Moon and AtLA, and I've long since outgrown throwing things at a TV in anger. But the fact of the matter still stands that I have nothing but loathing for MLPFiM. Feel free to tell me how season 4 ended if you want to. The real explanation of this hiatus is a simple one: uninspiration.  
**

**Anyway, a new review should be coming soon.**


	4. May 29, 2014 - Announcement

May 29, 2014 - Announcement

* * *

Long ago, I was asked if I would take any requests. Being as I'm in a bit of a rut right now, the answer is yes. Send some suggestions to me in a PM (up to three suggestions will be allowed until I post another entry on this journal), and I'll decide which one to do a review on. However, I likely won't be able to get to them in a timely manner (especially if I get a request to review something I've never seen/read/played), and I still have some reviews planned. So, what have you got for me?


	5. June 11, 2014 - Plunder and Lightning p1

June 11, 2014 – Plunder and Lightning part 1

* * *

**("TaleSpin" spoiler alert)**

* * *

Even though I've only seen two pilots of Disney Afternoon shows, I think it might be a pattern: the pilots are usually the most exciting episodes of these shows. TaleSpin's "Plunder and Lightning" is no exception. This pilot episode is so epic that it actually had to be split into four episodes (and also epic enough to get nominated for an Emmy Award). Yeah, remember when TV shows used to do that? Or did they ever do that? Being a fifteen-year-old ferret, I wouldn't know. But anyway, "Plunder and Lightning"!

Now _this_ is how you get the audience's attention from the word "go"! Part one's beginning gives a great idea of what to expect from this show when it gets to its best bits. In that scene alone we are introduced to the show's primary antagonist (the air pirate captain Don Karnage) and also one of the two main protagonists (the cloud-surfing Kit Cloudkicker). The setting is a rather exciting air raid scene in which Don Karnage plunders a passing plane for a valuable item of some sort, only for Kit to swipe it from him and escape with it. And the place he escapes to is where we meet the show's main character, Baloo. Also, we meet Louie, who will be a regular in the series. So, all in all, major points to how well introduced these cast members are. But that's not where the character introductions stop, though, but we'll get to that soon.

As for the setting, Cape Suzette (and yes, that is a pun on Crepe Suzette) is easily in my top 3 fictional locations I'd love to actually exist. Cliffs surrounding the place, with guns stationed on top of them to deter intruders, a net keeping all dangerous sea life out of the bay (that was introduced in a later episode, though), and the city itself all make for one of the best settings ever for a TV show. Canterlot only wishes it were as great as this place. Anyway, this is where Baloo makes his home. Though the arrival of a bill collector signifies that his plane may stop being his soon. As skilled a pilot as Baloo is, he's very lazy in his work, and now, the bills have caught up to him. His motto of working only when he has to translates out as the classic "why do today what I can do tomorrow?" mentality of lazy people. And now is the time when the consequences appear. So, now that we've been introduced to a sizable portion of the cast, now we have some proper stakes. And I'm liking where this is going, especially when Kit mentions to Baloo that he hid something at Louie's that could be worth the money Baloo owes. And being as the job he had taken out of desperation ended in disaster, he's going to need whatever this item is.

And that's the note the first part ends on. In the next part, we meet the rest of the main cast and find out what it was Don Karnage was after.

And also, I'll be giving my thoughts on this entire pilot episode once I finish going over all four parts of it.


	6. July 24, 2014 - The Game Term Boss

**A/N: For a few entries, I'll be writing them as actual stories.**

* * *

July 24, 2014 – In terms of video games, where did the word "boss" come from?

* * *

Today in the Littlest Pet Shop Day Camp, Ryu had announced that a meeting was to take place. All the pets settled down to hear what he had to say.

"As you all have seen from my plays of each game I brought here, each boss battle was treated as a significant event, whether it be plot important or just a special enemy that marks a section of a level," he began. "But as for why that word in particular is used in gaming for that purpose, I don't think anyone can be certain of. And that's why I called you all here, so I can tell you all my theory."

_"I thought he said this was going to be important,"_ Russell thought to himself in annoyance.

"You see, most of the time, bosses are villainous characters. Of course, there are some exceptions, but for the most part, they're antagonistic. In that case, then that villainous character is in command of lesser enemies found in the level. And by extension, that theoretically makes that particular boss the commander of the level you're in. But of course, they too are under orders from a higher power. But that only covers games that have their bosses stay in one place, such as any Zelda game ever. Except for the main driving forces, all the bosses occupy only one dungeon. Again, the term 'boss' can apply to villainous characters as a whole, as long as they're fought at some point. One final note is the boss fights that are against non-villainous characters. That's the case of when the term 'boss' is just used to define a significant challenging battle against a strong opponent. Pokémon Gym Leaders (except for Giovanni, who is a main antagonist as well as a Gym Leader), the Elite Four of each region, and the Pokémon League Champions of each region are my personal go-to examples of those."

Ryu had reached the end of his discussion. "Of course, this is just a theory," he said. "I could be totally wrong about this. But it is fun to think about, right? Anyway, that's all I wanted to say."

None of the pets seemed to be too impressed with Ryu's discussion, having been led on by him to think this was much more important than it was. Needless to say, they were disappointed. They were relieved to be able to go back to their regular activities.

"Too complex for them, huh?" Ryu muttered to himself as he returned to the play castle that he had turned into his own game holodeck-like area. As soon as he entered, he thought he caught a glimpse of something on the holodeck screen. It disappeared before he could get a good look at it. Even still, Ryu couldn't deny the familiarity.

* * *

**A/N: Question for all of you: how much do you hate it when a TV network completely mishandles a good show they're airing?**


	7. September 26, 2014 - Balance Trailer

**A/N: The trailer for "The Legend of Korra" Book 4 came out today. Needless to say, I'm excited for it. Also, it gave me something to post about, and segue into the review I've wanted to make for a long time.**

* * *

September 26, 2014 – "Balance" Trailer

"I can't believe it," said Avatar Korra. "…Toph?"

And the trailer Ryu and Sunil were watching concluded on that note. Ryu then turned to Sunil.

"I'm there," Ryu said as soon as the video ended and prompted the suggested videos to pop up. "Next Friday, that's where I'll be. How about you, Sunil?"

All video long, Sunil had a confused expression on his face. He didn't even know where to start. But Ryu knew he was partly to blame for the mongoose's confusion, despite his best efforts.

"Oh, right. We still have Book 3 of the previous series to catch up on. At least _you_ do, anyway, Sunil. But anyway, do you have any questions?"

"Not really," Sunil answered. "I'm too lost to ask about this."

"Honestly? Nothing at all?"

"Sorry, Ryu. I can tell you liked it, though." Sunil then left the area now known as the holodeck room.

"That, I did," Ryu said to himself. "It looks like it's going to be a good season. After all, Book 3 made up for the admittedly shaky pace of Book 2 and for the rushed ending of Book 1. Although both those earlier seasons were still very good, they had some problems with them. Book 3 was amazing, hands down. I agree with that fan comic artist who made that joke that it was 'finally as good as Avatar – the Last Airbender.' So, Book 4 has quite a lot to live up to, but I think it will. Next Friday is the premiere, so I'll be finding out in a week's time."

"Who are you talking to?" Russell asked, having followed Ryu's voice into the holodeck room.

"Nobody, Russell," Ryu answered. "Just reassuring myself of the quality of a great show. In that department, I function better alone."

"Yeah, I get it, Ryu," Russell responded, taking the hint and leaving. Ryu resumed his monologue.

"Korra's come a long way, I gotta say. I'd like to see where she goes from here. Hopefully she won't become almost entirely impulsive again. But I don't think that'll be. After all, back in Book 2, even when that 'attack first, ask later' behavior got out of hand, she still didn't get it as bad as she could've. Otherwise, she could've become as unlikable as…"

Ryu had to force himself to finish his example.

"…Rainbow D—"

"Hi, Ryu."

The figure on the holodeck screen appeared again. "We need to talk," it said. "I can tell something's bothering you."

"How do you figure?"

"I saw how pained you looked saying the name of the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. I may have just met you, but I don't want to see you like that, showing such anger at merely mentioning a name."

"Who are you, and why do you think my temperament is your business?"

The figure finally revealed itself. "I am Zorua. And I want to help you."

"How would you help me? And with what? And most importantly, how did you get from the digital pages of a fanfic to my screen? Also, why are you acting so calm? You're usually over-the-top hyperactive to the point where Meelo would be telling you to take some Quaaludes."

"What are Quaaludes?"

"Never mind that! Answer my questions first!"

"Okay then. Meema told me how adverse you are to hyperactivity…"

"Not really. I attend a Day Camp with a bombastic spider monkey."

"…Anyway, I'm just a virtual image someone else is controlling. And finally, I can help you get over your problem with…I know you don't like hearing its name…that show you taken lots of chances to complain about."

"Okay, fine. Because I like you, I'll humor you. But let me warn you now: you will be wasting your time. Getting me to like that show will be as successful as telling an open flame not to burn my bare hand when I touch it."

"I'm not trying to get you to like it, Ryu. I just don't want you to be in so much turmoil over it anymore."

"Very well. Let's get this over with. Though I'm starting to not believe you're the same Zorua from that fanfic."

* * *

**Next Entry – "My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic"  
**

* * *

**A/N: The Zorua in this entry is the one from Matthais Unidostres's "Zorua Reviews," despite acting nothing like him.  
**


	8. October 2, 2014 - The Best Show Ever

October 2, 2014 – The Best Show Ever

* * *

"So how are you going to help me?" Ryu asked Zorua.

"Well, we're going to go to Equestria, of course!" Zorua responded happily.

Ryu was already less than enthusiastic, but hearing the little Pokémon say those words brought his mood down even more.

"I see. Then you aren't interested in my well-being after all," Ryu said in a conclusive manner. "You can go home now. You just rescinded the right to speak to me."

"But this is what I'm talking about. Whenever somebody even mentions anything about the show to you, you do exactly this kind of stuff."

Zorua's words brought a few memories back to Ryu, such as the time he popped Zoe's favorite chew toy just because she happened to utter the word "fabulous" within his earshot. And there was also the time he tossed Russell's checklist out into the street just as a cross-country bus drove by just because he mentioned having to double-check the list after having triple-checked it. There was also certainly no forgetting the time he knocked the TV over just because a commercial just so happened to have said the word "Pony."

"What makes you think I ever violently overreacted to any pony-related stimulus?" Ryu demanded.

"I got two clues moments ago," Zorua answered. "First, you struggled to say Rainbow Dash's name. And just now, you told me to go away when I mentioned Equestria."

"Oh, that reminds me: why are you even still here? Still wanting to 'help' me by whisking me away to that sugarbowl hell?"

"Trust me, Ryu. It'll help if you pay Equestria a visit. Maybe we can find what about it it is you hate so much and move on from it. I don't want you to start losing your friends over this."

Ryu was running out of arguments at this point, so he conceded. "Fine, but after this, _I_ get to whisk _you_ off to a TV world of _my_ choice."

"Sounds good to me. I'd love to see what you do like. I'll get the portal ready."

"Oh, but before we go, let me get a few things," Ryu said as he slipped on an ornate blue parka. He tucked a pouch full of water into the pocket. "Okay. I'm ready now, or at least as much as I'll ever be considering the destination."

"Oh, I'm not ready yet," Zorua responded. "I'm still opening this thing. While I'm working on this, can you tell me some things you know about the show?"

Ryu's annoyance returned once again. "No. Instead, I'll tell you why I made the foolish choice to watch it. It was hyped up by comments like these." Ryu then reached into the empty space they were standing in and pulled some comments about the show from random areas of the Internet.

* * *

"…the ABSOLUTE BEST, MOST INCREDIBLY PERFECT season finale ever made!" –DeviantART comment

* * *

"If more episodes were more like [the season 4 finale], NOBODY wouldn't be a brony." –DeviantART comment

* * *

"Part 2 [of Twilight's Kingdom] was the best Dragonball Z episode ever." –DeviantART comment

* * *

"So…you think being connected to something as…awesome…as that is a bad thing? You might wanna do a little thinking about that." –excerpt from "Keldeo the Critic Season 2"

* * *

"It's okay, really, geeks and nerd[s] and grownups are watching this show and you can too." -banner sentence from Den of Geek's "10 Reasons You Should Be Watching My Little Pony Friendship is Magic"

* * *

"Honestly, though, for the sake of Matthias, I might as well come out with it. I've been watching episodes out of curiosity, and I find MLP to be a positive, humorous, and overall enjoyable show. Matthias was right: it's good." –Blade the Dewott's review of "The Angry Bug Show" ch26

* * *

"So if you people think it's funny[that I'm a Brony], you're laughing at yourselves because you know you like My Little Pony, but just want to keep it to yourselves because you think it's embarrassing. It's not." –excerpt from the profile page of author Virizion 2.6

* * *

"It sounded as though it was going to be a treat," Ryu said after closing all the comments he found. "I decided to give it three seasons, since another great show lasted exactly that long. I thought it was going to be a great show; if it wasn't going to be a Holy Grail of children's programming, then it at least could've been a rare treasure of some kind." Ryu then hardened his expression. "I misjudged that show completely. At the least, I expected something boring but tolerable, like 'Doug.' What I got was a painful experience that I can't even find a good comparison to use, since literally every other bit of trashy media I've seen as of now is better than 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic.' The premiere episodes were bad enough, but after finishing the first three seasons, it went from becoming toxic waste to becoming a hazard I can't even put into words."

"Well, by the time this is over, we're going to find out why," Zorua said, leading Ryu into the portal. "Here we go."

* * *

The two emerged in the middle of a small town with a huge castle near it.

"You know, I can't help but notice there's a building missing," Ryu said lethargically.

"Oh, yeah, that would be the library," Zorua replied. "A monster named Tirek destroyed it."

"Pardon?!" Ryu said, perking up. "Repeat that to me?!"

"I said the library was destroyed by a beast named Tirek."

"And I missed it?! Ugh, that would have been great to see! Did the purple Jinora wannabe go down with it?"

"No! She escaped. In fact, she wanted to welcome you to her kingdom. Here she comes, actually."

A purple pony with wings and a horn arrived. Ryu's glare didn't deter her one bit.

"Greetings, Ryusei," said the princess. "I'm princess—"

"Twilight Sparkle, well met," Ryu interrupted. "I know about most of your adventures. I quit following them after you and the other princesses surrendered your Elements of Harmony to the thing that became _that_ royal eyesore." He pointed at Twilight's castle. "What even _is_ that thing, anyway? It's definitely no Hollow Bastion, you know."

"Sorry, but I don't know," Twilight said. "What this 'Hollow Bastion' is, anyway."

"I didn't expect you to. Seriously, if you don't know that your 'kingdom' isn't even a kingdom, I don't think you really know all that much. For the record, as you and your friends are all princesses, that makes this a Principality. Equestria itself is a Principality, too."

Twilight looked toward Zorua with astonishment, then back at Ryu with the same expression. "You sure do know a lot! I'm impressed!"

"Well, you'd have to have some sort of optimism for being outsmarted."

"Come with me. I'll show you my library."

"Yeah, okay, fine. It's not like 'no' will be taken as an answer, anyway." Ryu then followed Twilight to the castle's library.

* * *

"…Okay, seriously, are you done yet?!" Ryu snapped. "You've prattled for an hour about Daring Do, and now it's gotten to too much for me to stand any longer!"

"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry," Twilight said sadly, not wanting to have upset Ryu. "Why don't you tell me what kind of books you like?"

"Actually, I kinda don't want to right now. But would it be okay if I borrowed your dictionary? Bookmark the word 'martyr' for me, please."

"Oh, certainly." Twilight gave Ryu the dictionary, with a bookmark in it on the page with the word he requested. "Though I'm curious about why you'd want to know the definition of such an unpleasant word."

"I'll check it out later. Now then, let me ask you something about your princess."

"You mean Princess Celestia, right?"

"Indeed. Or should I say, your commander? Tell me again about how you got your wings. I saw how, but give me your insight. From your perspective, perhaps it's a different story."

"Well, it happened when a spell I was investigating swapped the destinies of my friends. It wasn't complete, so that was the side effect. But then I realized what the spell was missing, and when I filled it in, the spell was complete and my friends went back to being their normal selves. That experience taught me that your true destiny is one you discover for yourself. And that segued into how I got my wings. You see, Princess Celestia wanted me to figure that out so that I could become the Princess of Friendship, just as she planned."

This was what Ryu expected to hear. "Well, that taught me what I already know. You really are just taking orders from Celestia and living her gambits out for her."

Twilight had been able to gauge Ryu's thoughts for a while, but now the momentum was broken. Now she was legitimately confused.

"Finding the Elements of Harmony, sending a sleeping dragon far away, crashing the Grand Galloping Gala, taking down Discord, learning about self-sacrifice in a situation that nearly meant another Principality's end, and finally, this. Need I even go on?"

"Wh…what are you getting at, Ryu?"

"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't catch on. You're the same unicorn who said that Pinkie Senses don't exist because she doesn't choose when it happens, which is akin to saying heartbeats aren't real because you don't choose to make it beat. You're not only a total moron, but a tool."

Twilight was shocked.

"No, actually, a tool has a use. 'Toy' would be the better word. Actually, no, not even that's a good word to use. Am I confusing you, Twilight?"

"Of course you are!" Twilight responded, mortified. "You're not making any sense!"

"To you, I'm not. But to one of actual intellect, I am. Where I come from, your adventures are just episode of an overrated television show, and a section of the people who watch it know this, too! That section knows that you're an attack dog in an alicorn's form! No, not just an attack dog, just a dog in general; mindlessly following the orders of someone you think is superior to you!"

"You're wrong, Ryu!"

"Am I really? Tell me, what actions for the good of Equestria have you taken of your own initiative? Giving the Elements of Harmony back to the Tree of Harmony is one thing, sure, but what is that against everything else?! A wise Fire Nation General once asked this of his nephew, which I now ask of you: who are _you_, and what do _you_ want?!"

"What's your problem with me?! Why are you doing this?!"

"As I thought, you're too simple and confused to answer my question. You don't know what you want at all. Since you need it spelled out for you, I'll tell you why I'm doing this. Because I have a special place in my heart for you, Twilight: the coldest, darkest area of it. I have no feeling for you other than hatred. You should have burned up along with your old library. As you have nothing to contribute as an individual, Equestria would never have noticed that you were killed in battle. Time would have forgotten you. Ironic, given you once contemplated stopping time. Now then, I've had all I can take from being near you." Ryu then left the library, leaving Twilight speechless. Zorua entered to comfort the princess.

"Your Highness… I'm sorry about that," he said.

"It's fine, little guy," Twilight said. "I think that ferret is hiding something. He never told me why he hates me."

"With any luck, none of you will get to know," Ryu whispered to himself in response to what he overheard Twilight say on his way out. "I'm outta here." As he said this, he bumped into a white unicorn with a wavy purple mane.

* * *

"The fashion senses in this town ought to be a better cause for complaint than my own hairstyle," Ryu said to Rarity as his hair was being washed. "Your mane, for instance. Whoever or whatever told you _that_ looked good was blinder than Helen Keller."

Ryu could tell that Rarity struggled a bit to ignore that comment of his, as she opted to change the subject. "By the way, _wherever_ did you get that _fab—_"

"Let me just stop you there before you use the f-word for the eternity-eth time. This parka was made for me by a friend of mine. I asked her to make it my size, seeing as how members of the Water Tribe are human, and I'm a ferret. I'd never trust a greedy hack like you for something great like this."

"Greedy hack?!" Rarity shouted, appalled. "What do you mean by that?!"

"The Element of Generosity really doesn't have many choices among Equestria's populace to go to, but it couldn't have chosen worse than you, jewel thief. I mean, sure, it takes guts to try to steal treasure from a dragon. However, stealing a slice of cake a friend of yours worked hard on was quite a terrible move on your part."

"Is that what your problem is with me?"

"Maybe just a little bit of it. But that's really none of your business. Let's talk about something else, huh?"

"I'd love to," Rarity replied as she began rinsing Ryu's hair.

"First off, tell me what you think of scary movies."

"Oh, goodness, they're awful! Who would watch those terrible things?!"

"Well, some people aren't complete cowards. Like myself, for instance. Actually, I find them hilarious, if only because I know the tropes they have in common, and therefore kill the scares for me. Seriously, the victims all have it coming, and the one who gets away is always the lucky stupid one. Not to mention they almost always revolve around a counter-intuitive serial killer who'd never even have a body count if his or her victims weren't total morons on the level of you and your friends."

"Give us some credit, Ryu! I'd never get myself killed by a maniac!"

"Then how about by a fatal freak accident? The Final Destination series stands out among horror films for exactly that reason. In fact, the third installment of that franchise had quite a doozy in the first half-hour or so in which a pair of uppity valley girl girls go to a tanning salon. A bookshelf falls and jams itself into the lids of the tanning beds and traps the girls inside as the beds overheat so much that they break the protective glass. The girls then caught fire and burned to death."

"My goodness, that's terrible!"

"Of course, I wasn't frightened at all by that scene. For one thing, the series of events that knocked the bookshelf over and caused the beds to overheat were absolutely contrived. It was as if it were a Rube Goldberg machine rather than a freak accident. But there's another reason for my lack of fright toward that scene: you."

Rarity simply gasped in shock.

"Yeah. Out of my hatred of you, I imagined you in that exact situation. Any demise in anything from a beauty salon would be an ironically appropriate way for you to go. So I suggest you stop visiting the Ponyville Day Spa from now on. Come to terms with how ugly you are, and never again try to hide it."

"…Ryu, leave my boutique at once," Rarity seethed.

"I'd be glad to," Ryu replied calmly and coldly. "And don't worry about drying my hair. I've got that covered." Rarity watched in shock as the water in Ryu's hair floated upward toward his hand as he waved it over his head. With it floating over his hand, he motioned toward the ground, causing the water to splash on the floor. "Good day to you," he said as he left Carousel Boutique.

* * *

Ryu remembered that Rarity usually never went to the spa alone. This was confirmed when he saw a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane entering the spa. Ryu followed her in and entered the mud bath room while she paid for the works. Using his waterbending, he created an air shield around himself as he hid under the mud. As soon as he heard the Pegasus climbing into the next mud bathtub, he emerged. She didn't expect there to be a ferret in the spa.

"Oh, my," she said softly. "Are you lost?"

"Certainly not, Fluttershy," Ryu responded. "I hear you're Ponyville's animal expert."

"I do have a talent with animals, but I've never heard one speak before." Fluttershy couldn't express her surprise any other way.

"So, you and your friends don't count as animals? Because you all clearly are."

"Oh, no, no. It's just that I'm not used to small animals speaking. What do ferrets talk about?"

"That depends. What would you like to hear?"

"Absolutely…everything."

"Well, unfortunately, I can't tell you everything. However, I will tell you _some_thing. Particularly, the reason I'm really not enjoying myself."

"Oh, that's too bad. Did something happen?"

"Yeah. I had to deal with two of your friends prior to coming here. So I just decided to get you over with. I know you're going to be just as annoying as those two were, so why delay the inevitable?"

"I'm so sorry to hear that, little guy."

"Don't be. But don't think I hate all of you for no reason at all."

"You hate us? But why?"

"I don't think that's your business, Fluttershy. In fact, if I told you, you'd cry. Though I'd love to see you cry, the repercussions wouldn't be pretty. To be blunt, somebody would want to make me a martyr for it."

"A what?"

At that, Ryu took out the dictionary he borrowed from Twilight, and opened to the bookmarked page. "'Martyr: a person who is killed because of their beliefs,'" he read aloud. "Another definition listed here is more appropriate to what I speak of. 'Martyr: a person who suffers greatly from something.' And that latter definition is the fate of all who make you cry where I come from."

"Where do you come from? And what would they do if I were to cry?"

"Let's just say I'm from a more pleasant world than this one, yet it still has some serious things wrong with it. A few inhabitants of that world know who you are, and they really like you. They like you so much, that whenever someone even remotely harms you or makes you shed a tear, they never forgive the responsible party. Gilda is one particular target. As of today, your run-in with her was four years ago, but it still might as well be earlier today that it happened."

"That's too bad. Gilda wasn't nice, but she shouldn't be bothered like that."

"But what really bothers me is the implication that you're even worth protecting. You aren't. At all. Why protect a doormat who will never change?"

Fluttershy was taken aback by Ryu's sudden zeal. "You think…I'm a doormat?"

"No. I _know_ you're a doormat. Always was, always will be. If I were to completely have it out with you, you'd do nothing to resist. I shall demonstrate." Ryu then spread his arms wide, leaned down, and brought his arms up. The mud in his bathtub rose up and coated his arms as if they were tentacles. He then pointed one of his mud arms at Fluttershy as if to attack.

"See? You're already cowering. You're not even worth it." Ryu then relaxed, and the mud fell off his arms and back into the tub. "Enjoy the rest of your time here alone. Rarity isn't joining you today."

Having finished his business with Fluttershy, Ryu left the spa.

* * *

Ryu just stepped out the door when a blue Pegasus with a Rainbow mane confronted him.

"Hey! You!" she shouted.

"Yep, I expected as such from you," Ryu said. "Rainbow Dash, the overzealous Pegasus. It's in your blood to be this way."

"Why shouldn't I be?! I heard about you and what you did to Twilight, Rarity, and now Fluttershy!"

"And are you going to do something about it? It wouldn't be you if you didn't. You're known for taking questionable actions that make you teeter over the slippery slope of morality."

"Are you calling me some kind of monster?"

"Well, those who would sink so low as to sell a friend for a book can't be good. At this point, in addition to other immoral things you've done, you're already sliding down the slope. Any moment now, you'll cross the moral line that signifies your final chance to turn away from evil. But you won't take it."

"Oh yeah?!" Rainbow Dash had heard enough. She flew into the sky and brought a rain cloud down closer to the ground. "Take this!" She kicked the cloud and rained all the water down on Ryu. But this was what he wanted her to do. Raising his arms over his head, he waved them in a circular motion. All the rain then coalesced together into one single stream, to Rainbow Dash's surprise. "Wait, are you magic or something?!"

"It's not magic," Ryu quipped. "It's waterbending." He then launched the water at the Pegasus, hitting her face with it. He then turned the cloud into a watery stream, and with a circular motion of his arms, made it arc around Rainbow Dash in a double-helix shape. "If there's any good in you left, I will reveal it now." He continued waving his arms around. As he did this, the water streams started to glow gold. Soon, Rainbow Dash also started to glow the same color. Soon, it was done, and the water streams disintegrated. "Go in peace," Ryu said.

"What did you just do to me?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That was a purification technique used to calm down angry spirits," Ryu answered. "It obliterates any evil a creature may have. That means if a creature is nothing but evil, that creature will be totally vanquished. Be happy I used that variant on you, because the dark version of this technique corrupts and destroys anything it's used on."

"Well, I don't feel any different. Which means you're wrong in calling me a monster!"

"Perhaps, but you should still watch yourself. Even if you're not bad, that doesn't mean I like you. You still upset me." Having concluded his business, Ryu went on his way.

* * *

Sugarcube Corner was Ryu's final spot, and the area he was dreading the most. It was all because of who was there. And sure enough, she was chatting him up with her usual nonsense, despite Ryu asking her not to. She couldn't help herself.

"…'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?...'" Pinkie prattled on. Ryu's patience was worn thin by the four ponies he had already met, but now it was at the breaking point.

"…And that's how the word 'pony' was made!" Pinkie concluded an hour later.

"I hope you're finally finished, Pinkie," Ryu said. "Because now it's my turn. Did I not ask you not to do exactly what you just did? And did you oblige?"

"I just met you, though. I like meeting new faces! And I like making them happy!"

"But you _didn't_ make me happy. You made me angry."

"Sorry you feel so grumpy, but I think your frown will be turned upside-down real soon."

"Why? Are you planning on getting hit by the train? Because that would make me happy."

"No way, silly! That's too dangerous! But you won't have to wait for long for your surprise! Just a few more seconds! And here they are now!"

On Pinkie's cue, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Zorua all entered the party area and shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Ryu put his hand over his face in disgust. His livid expression didn't lighten up one bit even when he was served cake.

"Ryu, what's wrong?" Zorua asked.

Ryu didn't respond, and his face hardened even more.

"Come on, Ryu!" Pinkie said. "It's your turn to play 'Pin the Tail on the Pony!'"

_"I'd like to pin an icicle in your heart,"_ Ryu thought as his glare hardened even further. "Get away from me," he growled.

"Howdy there, Ryu! I don't believe we met, but I'm Applejack," said an orange pony.

"I was happier when we didn't meet, thank you very much," Ryu responded.

"Are you feeling okay, Ryu?" Twilight asked.

"I think that's obvious that I'm not," Ryu answered.

"But why not? All we've done was welcome you here at Zorua's request. We've done all this nice stuff for you, and you hate us for some reason still. Why do you hate us so much?"

Ryu stared at the purple alicorn for a second and said, "Maybe you and your no-good friends should get out of my sight now."

"We're not going anywhere until you explain yourself," Twilight said assertively. "There is no cause for you to behave so coldly to us."

"Actually, there are many reasons," Ryu said. "For starters Twilight, you are no hero of any kind. Your story just designates you as one, when you're really just a tool for another princess. But I could've looked past that if it weren't for how much of a know-nothing-know-it-all pretentious hussy you are. What did you do when Spike, the hero of the Crystal Empire, was snubbed by Cadance for an invitation to greet Ms. Harshwhinny? You stood there and didn't even attempt to convince her otherwise. What did you do when you were gossiped about by the three girls calling themselves Gabby Gums? You force-fielded them out of your library. What did you tell those same three girls when their stage routine fell apart? You told them to never try anything new. And do I even need to bring up the Mare Do Well incident? What else do I need to say, Twilight Sparkle?! I hate you completely, and will until my last breath!"

"Hey, back off!" Rainbow Dash said, sticking up for Twilight. "This is also the pony who helped save Equestria many times! How can you hate a hero so much?!"

"She's no hero to me. And neither are the rest of you. Rainbow Dash, your rap sheet is also huge. Dropping rain on me was a bit much, but at least I provoked you. But did the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Just for gossiping about you? I don't think so. There was also your heckling of Trixie just because she bragged, something you make a daily ritual out of. Oh and that goes for you, too, Applejack. Then there was your stalking of a celebrity. And finally, your willingness to sell your friend for a book. There is no justification for such an action. To me, Rainbow Dash, your heart is a dark substance.  
"Applejack, your smug insistence that your near-loss of Sweet Apple Acres taught you nothing irked me unbelievably.  
"Fluttershy, keeping a Parasprite despite knowing what it could do, siding with the bats that could've destroyed Sweet Apple Acres, which need I remind you is Applejack's life income, and also refusing to see the dragon migration despite that you forced Rainbow Dash to see a butterfly migration. Off the top of my head, those are the actions of yours that caused you to earn my utter hatred.  
"Rarity, you greedy contradiction to your element, prioritizing of your brief Canterlot social status on Twilight's birthday, and guilting Spike into giving you a Fire Ruby, all of those and more make you undeserving of any of my respect.  
"And finally, you, Pinkie Pie. The words I am about to say to you can't completely convey how much I abhor you, but here goes anyway. You are a thoroughly insensitive, hyperactive, and immature woman-child. Pestering an old donkey for friendship and an apology, causing Appleoosa to be attacked by buffalo just when the conflict seemed to be averted, ruining all of Luna's attempts to make friends on Nightmare Night and claiming it was all in the name of fun, being of no help with the parasprite problem until it was too late to save Ponyville from them, buying up just enough cider to make Rainbow Dash the first customer to be told the faucet was empty and then bragging about the taste of what you deprived her of, and bullying Fluttershy to almost a nervous breakdown during her tenure in the Ponytones. Those are things a bully does. You are no friend, Pinkamena Diane Pie. You are a bully.  
"But you know what? I could have forgiven all of that, were it not for one simple thing. Looking back, it was clear from the beginning how shallow all of you are. None of you ever were that interesting, but you were all nearly immediately infuriating. So you had just made friends with a once lonely unicorn during an adventure to save the land from a jealous princess. What do you do soon after? Try to bribe a Grand Galloping Gala ticket from her, of course! Yes, indeed, because when a dear friend of yours has a connection to royalty, you seek to exploit it not even a week since you know the one with the connection! In fact, I brought this with me just for all of you!"

Ryu then took his water pouch out of his pocket and bent the water out of it to form a small water stream. He spun it around to make it slap each of the six ponies in the face. He then let the water splash down onto the floor.

"The bottom line is, you are all thoroughly despicable vessels used to tell a horribly crafted story. It's impossible for me to want anything good to happen to all of you complete bitches. And when my opinion of protagonists goes down so low that I legitimately want your enemies to kill all of you and conquer your world, then that's a story I refuse to follow! As far as I'm concerned, your story is over!" Ryu had finally poured his feelings out. With no further business left in Equestria, he left Sugarcube Corner and approached the portal.

* * *

Ryu was at the portal's entryway when Zorua stopped him.

"What do you want?" Ryu asked. "Want to cause me more misery?"

"No, I don't," Zorua answered. "I never did want you to feel this way."

"Well, I do. You finally pushed me to my breaking point and also found out why I hate this place and its most important denizens. Are you happy now?"

"No. It made me sad to see you lay into everybody like that. That was really uncalled for!"

"No, it was totally called for. You knew I hated them, and yet you still brought me here!"

"You finally got your chance to let it be known why you hate them, though! Aren't you at least happy about that?"

"No, I'm not!" Ryu surprised even himself with that last statement. "Look kid, I wanted to say all that for a long time, but you shouldn't have been the catalyst for it. You shouldn't have seen any of that."

"I just…wanted to help you…"

"I'm sorry, but you can't. Only one thing can help me now." Ryu configured the portal's settings to lead to another world.

"Wait a sec. Where are you going?"

"Somewhere where I can meditate in peace. You can come with me if you want."

"I will. We had a deal, after all. I showed you Equestria, so now you can show me somewhere else."

"Okay, then. I think you'll like where we're going."

"Which is where, exactly?"

As Ryu and Zorua began entering the portal, the answer was given.

"The Eastern Air Temple."

* * *

**Next review: Avatar – the Last Airbender**

* * *

**A/N: Like the last entry, the Zorua here is from Matthais Unidostres's "Zorua Reviews".**


	9. Addendum

**A/N: An addendum to my MLPFiM review.**

**Yeah, I'm still working on my review of "Avatar – the Last Airbender," so don't worry about it not happening. However, something popped up and put this idea in my head, so here we go.**

**Since you all now know that I regard MLPFiM as a slap to the face of all entertainment, I figured I ought to explain how I feel about the fandom. Keep in mind that my opinion on the fandom has nothing to do (and it never did) with my feelings on the show. Anyway, I think the Brony fandom is the absolute worst fandom to have ever appeared. Bar none.**

**Bear in mind that although I hate the fandom more than I hate the show, I do know and acknowledge that there is some good about the fandom, and that there are some actually good people in there. That's already more than I can say for the show itself. But that doesn't mean I can overlook some of the bad (and when I say bad, I mean downright diabolical) things the fandom has done. Such as the time DeviantART user Yamino was made a public enemy because of the Derpy edit in all reruns of "The Last Roundup," despite having nothing to do with the edit. All she did was express relief that the edit happened. Not even a letter from a Hub staff member was enough to stop them from making her one of their many martyrs (there is no other word I could think of for this). I would overlook that if they didn't keep spamming her with gloating messages every time Derpy makes a cameo (it happened when "Magical Mystery Cure" first aired).**

**But that's not the end of it. Now, I know PinkiePony isn't really that good a person herself, but there's an old saying that goes "two wrongs don't make a right." Ergo, her questionable behaviors don't justify Bronies attacking her for the "Down with Molestia" movement. In fact, even the show's staff gets this treatment if the Alicorn Twilight backlash, the Equestria Girls backlash, the "Filli Vanilli" backlash, and any of the backlashes having to do with Hasbro shutting down fan projects (i.e.: Fighting is Magic, Button Mash Adventures, etc.) are any indication. And need I even mention the firing of Ted Anderson over the incident where he put in Dragond**k's OC into the comic?**

**It also irritates me to no end that they think they're "redefining masculinity." Yeah, I don't think watching a cartoon redefines anything other than one's taste in entertainment. I wasn't old enough to be on the Internet in the mid-1990s (not only that, but the early to middle of that era had no Internet that was available to absolutely everyone), but I don't think any fans of "Sailor Moon" thought ****_they_**** were "redefining masculinity" by not being shy about their interest in that show (for the record, I regard "Sailor Moon" as the ****_true_**** action girly show). Not to mention all the censuses that count how many people are Bronies (though ironically two of those, the "Brony Study" and "Brony Herd Census &amp; State of the Herd Report" to be exact, just served to confirm the stereotypes overactive haters think Bronies are). And need I even mention that "documentary" John de Lancie made? I guess so, because I don't think that was anything other than propaganda that manipulatively builds the fandom up as being an immaculate treasure of mankind (in fact, one of the people interviewed (Lyle) in that movie admitted that it made up the part about his dad liking an episode of the show he was shown, and also the movie never mentioned that Lyle was sent to a boarding school some time after he took his parents to BronyCon). And just today, I found out about "Bronies: the Musical." At that point, it became clear to me that the fandom just likes getting attention. That's my theory on why they constantly do all this stupid stuff. It comes across as forcing people to know about them, and to try out MLPFiM.**

**I do know that there's a crazy side to all Internet fandoms. With Bronies, I'm of the belief that there's more bad than good with them. Back in 2010, it was a kinda cute label that just meant an adult male who liked MLPFiM. But ever since early 2012, it got tarnished to the point where it now means all sorts of horrible things. And that's why it concerns me to see decent people saying that they're a Brony (and I must confess, I fell into that trap myself back in my Brony days; it's good you all met me ****_after_**** I left the fandom. So I suppose some of this anger is directed at myself.). So, to any good people in the Brony fandom, I want you to know that you're great people to have not become as horrible as the rest of them, and I beg of you to guard that goodness as much as you can while you're still in the Brony fandom.**

**And one last note: everything I've just said here are my thoughts only. I don't claim to speak for anyone but myself on this matter, since I'm aware of anti Bronies being just as horrible as who they hate (and like I said before, I don't completely hate the fandom; though I can't think of much of their good actions right now, I know they happened and I admire that). Just think of me as an anti Brony who doesn't want to see the uglier side of the Brony fandom corrupt the little good left in it.**

**And with that, my review of "Avatar – the Last Airbender" is on the way soon.**


	10. October 28, 2014 - The Best Show (Really

October 28, 2014 - The _Real_ Best Show Ever

* * *

"Anything yet, Ryu?" Zorua asked.

Ryusei Taylor was seated inside the Southern Air Temple, and he was assuming the lotus position as he meditated. Thanks to Zorua, his concentration was interrupted again.

"Like the last time you asked, no," Ryu responded. "It's kinda important that you stay quiet. You want to see Keldeo again, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I can't enter the Spirit World unless I can concentrate on it in meditation. And need I remind you that Keldeo is there? By constantly interrupting me, you're ruining my chances of rescuing him."

"But how will I know you're in the Spirit World? You told me earlier that your body will still be right here when you cross over."

"Well, as I told you, airbenders can enter the Spirit World by meditating and projecting their soul there. It's a secondary ability of theirs."

"But aren't you a waterbender?"

"In Equestria, I was. I don't know why I changed to being an airbender when we came here. But anyway, airbenders with a strong spiritual connection are capable of entering the Spirit World. In fact, anyone can, but airbenders are the ones with the best chance of success. Not only that, but it's possible for the inanimate body to speak a message sent to it by the soul. So, when you hear me start speaking without any emotion like I'm tired, then you'll know I'm in the Spirit World. So, until then, stay quiet."

"Okay, I'll try."

With an agreement reached, Ryu began meditating again. After ten more minutes, his soul left his body and entered the Spirit World.

"I'm here, Keldeo," Ryu said to himself. "Where are you?"

Meanwhile, back in the Physical World, Zorua stayed with Ryu's now lifeless body. He felt a pulse coming from Ryu, indicating that he was still alive.

"I've…entered…" Ryu's body said. "Guard…my body…or…I can't return…"

Zorua nodded in agreement.

* * *

Within the Spirit World, Ryu concentrated on Keldeo.

"Jinora found Kai this way," he reassured himself. "I'll lead myself to Keldeo by doing the same. Where is he?"

Concentrating harder, Ryu heard a voice.

_"Why would a pony-hating ferret live here?!"_

With his target confirmed, Ryu focused on finding him. His soul traveled to the colt Pokémon's location, which was in front of an old tree in the middle of a marsh. Ryu recognized this location, and a sense of dread filled him. _"Oh, I hope I'm not too late!"_ he thought to himself. He was relieved to find that he wasn't, as Keldeo stood just outside the tree's opening. He was unaware of Ryu's presence.

"I would _not_ go in there if I were you, Keldeo," he called out to the Pokémon. He turned to make eye contact with the ferret, just as the latter said, "If you value your face, anyway." Ryu approached Keldeo.

"Inside that tree is a spirit who waits for visitors to show emotion to him," Ryu explained. "If someone shows a single bit of emotion in their facial expression to this spirit, he'll steal that person's face. And it's not just people he can do that to. Observe."

Ryu pointed toward a nearby curly-tailed bluenose monkey. When it turned to face him, both he and Keldeo saw that it was missing a face.

"WHAT IN THE—" Keldeo exclaimed.

"Yep, that spirit lives up to his name of Koh the Face Stealer," Ryu clarified. "Come to the Physical World with me, Keldeo. We'll be safe there. Besides, I need to get back to my body anyway. Otherwise, it'll die. Now, hold onto me."

Keldeo did as told. Ryu concentrated on the location of his body back in the Southern Air Temple. Carrying Keldeo with him, he returned to the location he focused on.

* * *

Ryu's eyes shot open in a flash, signaling that he had returned to his body. Behind him was Keldeo, whom he had rescued from the Spirit World.

"Well, Zorua, look who I found," Ryu said triumphantly. "Even better is that I saved him seconds before he would've lost his face."

"That's great, Ryu!" Zorua responded. He then turned to Keldeo. "So, what brings you here? Didn't a Plot Hole send you to Pokémon Paradise?"

"Yes, and I actually got here from there," Keldeo answered. "I was exploring the Ultimate Wilds when a wild Espeon tossed me into a nearby Magnagate with its Psychic power. Then I ended up in some weird place that made itself up as I went along, which Ryu just told me that the place was the Spirit World. While I was there, Spike the Snob told me about Ryu and how much he hated the main characters of 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic' with a murderous passion. For some reason, M. Night Shyamalan was with him, too. They wanted me to tell him—"

"…That they challenged me to review Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender,' I know, Keldeo. I overheard that conversation while I was meditating during one of my failed attempts to enter the Spirit World. In fact, that was when I heard your voice."

"I see. And you know, I wanted to talk to you about your Pony hatred—"

"See, this kind of thing happens whenever anyone online has anything bad to say about Ponies; the fans want to make you a martyr."

"Oh, also, they gave me a 'humble pie' for me to give to you, Ryu. So here!"

Keldeo tossed the pie at Ryu. Ryu simply airbended a small wind sphere in front of himself and caught the pie with it. Then, with a swift hand movement, sent the pie back at Keldeo, splattering it on his face.

"'Humble Pie' sounds like something stupid enough to have been baked by someone I just got done water smacking in the face," Ryu responded curtly. "I'll do it again if she shows up here. I may have inexplicably become an airbender as soon as I came here, but I can manage that again."

"What's your problem with them, anyway?! Like Avatar Aang is so perfect himself!"

Ryu simply laughed at Keldeo's retort. "You thought I didn't know that? You think that just because I don't see any good in the cast of 'My Little Pony' that I don't see any bad in the cast of 'Avatar – the Last Airbender'? Apparently you share a trait with Spike the Snob and a lot of Bronies: anyone who hates Ponies is an arrogant fool who must be destroyed. Why else would I have gotten a challenge? Besides which, do they think a bad movie will be my end? Well, I accept their challenge. But first, let me make it clear about why I hold 'Avatar – the Last Airbender' in such high regard. Have a seat."

Ryu pushed Keldeo down into a sitting position using his airbending.

"Let me begin by explaining the basics of this world." Ryu reached into his Air Nomad garb and pulled out five Pokeballs, releasing five Pokémon: an Excadrill, a Dewott, a Delphox, a Dragonite, and a Gabite.

"As you might know, since lots of philosophies revolve around base elements, the four elements are water, earth, fire, and air," Ryu began explaining. "Dewott, may you please demonstrate water to my guests?"

_"Oh, sure, he's the kindest guy ever to his Pokémon he got out of nowhere,"_ Keldeo thought to himself.

Ryu opened a bottle of water near Dewott, who brought it out of the bottle with his waterbending. He then affixed it to his arm and cracked it like a whip, letting the end of it dissipate into drops. He then turned the remains of the water tendril into an icicle and stuck it into the ground, ending his waterbending demonstration.

"Great job, Dewott. You could give Katara a decent workout." Ryu turned to Excadrill next. "Excadrill, it's your turn. Let's all see what an excellent earthbender you are."

At Ryu's cue, Excadrill stomped on the ground with her left foot, making a stone rise from the ground and float in front of him. With her right fist, she sent the rock flying into the ceiling. She then jumped up and created a small circular fissure around herself upon her landing. Bringing her hands up from her sides, she made a square of stalagmites rise from the ground. That was the end of her demonstration.

"If Toph experienced that, she'd be impressed, Excadrill. Excellent work." Next, Ryu turned to Delphox. "Now, Delphox, please brighten up Keldeo's day."

Keldeo brought a hoof to his face in response to Ryu's lame joke. He brought it down in time to see Delphox shooting flames out her fists as she threw punches at the air with both hands. She then did a roundhouse kick that sent out a crescent-shaped fire stream from her feet. She ended her demonstration with a small cyclone of fire generated by her spinning on her head and firebending from her hands and feet.

"Amazing, Delphox. If Admiral Zhao were still alive, you could wipe the floor of his ship with him." Ryu then faced Zorua and Keldeo. "As for air, I will be demonstrating that one myself."

Ryu picked up a staff and twirled it around, generating a wind comparable to that of a box fan's medium setting. With a swipe of the staff, he generated an air slice. He ended his demonstration by creating an air sphere which he climbed on and zoomed around the room on, and then jumping off of it as it dissipated.

"And there you have the basic idea of how bending works," Ryu said. "However, this is just the beginning. Each element has a subsidiary. Excadrill, may we see metalbending, please?"

Ryu tossed a pair of scissors toward Excadrill, who used her ability to morph it into a small dagger.

"Pure metals such a platinum are unable to be bent. Any metal that isn't pure in its composition can be bent by a skilled earthbender. There are small, trace amounts of earth to be found in these kinds of metals, therefore making metalbending possible. Now, observe fire's subsidiary element."

Dragonite stepped up, having heard his cue. He touched his middle and index claws together, pointed up at the ceiling, and shot a bolt of lightning. He then shot another bolt at Delphox, who caught it in her left hand. She passed the energy through herself and redirected it back at the ceiling through her right hand.

"See that? Even if a firebender can't bend electricity, he or she can redirect it. Delphox caught the energy in her left hand, let it pass through her, and shot it back out her right hand. It's a rather dangerous technique, actually. See, it's good that Delphox let it pass through her stomach. No harm will come from that. However, if it had gone through her heart, it could have killed her by stopping it."

"But how is it possible for a firebender to bend electricity?" Zorua asked.

"As a matter of fact, there's an explanation to that. You see, when the positive and negative energy of fire is separated, the moment they come back together in an attempt to rebalance itself creates lightning. Dragonite has learned to do exactly that. Also, as electricity and fire are both plasmids and sources of heat, that's another explanation of how it's possible. Of course, fire is already a wild and fierce element. Electricity is even more so, so much so that it can only be guided. It can't be commanded like regular fire. But as dangerous and wild as electricity is, it's nothing compared to the other subsidiary firebending skill. Delphox, your turn again. But please don't aim it anywhere in here."

Delphox removed her headband to reveal a tattoo shaped like an eyeball. She looked out the window and concentrated on a passing cloud. With a look of intense focus, she let loose a blast that sounded like fireworks. Once it reached the cloud, it exploded.

"This one is a bit harder to explain," Ryu said to a scared Keldeo and Zorua. "The only explanation that was given was that it's a mental power. It's literally psychic firebending, using the power of the mind to compress a fiery stream into an explosion. After all, oxygen is part of the fuel for fire, so that could have something to do with it too. But like I said, this is an even more wild and dangerous ability than lightningbending. In fact, it's so dangerous that the one practitioner of this ability in the show died because of it. If a significantly damaging blow to the head is suffered, specifically to the forehead where the tattoo is, it'll disrupt the combustionbender's mind waves and make a completely erratic attack. When it happened to the assassin known as Combustion Man, it caused his final attack to be a suicide bombing. It took a big chunk out of the Western Air Temple in addition to totally incinerating him so completely that only his metal prosthetic limbs remain of him. In short, combustionbending is a dangerous ability, both to the defending opponent and to the attacker. But another wildly dangerous element was recently discovered, too. And it wasn't even in this show that this next ability was shown. Gabite, would you like to show us?"

Gabite stepped forward at Ryu's call. Excadrill earthbended a rock toward Gabite, who caught it with his own earthbending. He spun it around very rapidly until it heated up and became lava. He then splashed it harmlessly on the ground, melting a small part of it away.

"It's been a mystery to fans as to who could bend lava," Ryu explained. "The most common theory is that only the Avatar could, since it required a mixture of earthbending and firebending. But that theory is not true after all. It's earthbenders who are able to bend lava, as lava is liquid rock. The skill required for this has to be astronomical. But that's just about it for subsidiary skills."

"Wait, what about water and air?" Zorua asked. "Those had sub-skills, right?"

"You already saw some of water's sub-skills. They can control ice and clouds."

"I didn't see the clouds part, but okay. And air?"

"I would say Astral Projection, but that's not really a sub-skill so much as it is a perk for individuals who are in touch with spirits. Air _does_ have a sub-skill, which I'm trying to achieve. If I do, it'll mean something significant. Plus, it will only be clear when it actually happens. That's all I can say on that matter. Oh, and one more thing: there are some people in this world with no bending ability whatsoever. There are people who can bend only one element, none, or all four. And the person who can bend all four elements is the person the franchise is named for: the Avatar.

"The Avatar is a special being. Bending all four elements isn't the only abnormal aspect of the Avatar. He also is a continuing life form. When one Avatar dies, the next one is born, unless the Avatar dies while in the Avatar State. The Avatar State is a special ability the Avatar has, in which he calls upon the skill, wisdom, and power of every preceding Avatar for an important task. Before he masters it, it works as an automatic defense mechanism. He can master it by opening up his seven Chakra pathways within himself, at which point he can fully control it and himself while using it. But the fact that using the Avatar State empowers him with everything about the past Avatars literally means the entire Avatar Spirit acts as one, which is why the Avatar Cycle ends if the current Avatar dies while in the Avatar State. It would kill all the previous Avatars' souls, as well as the very source of the Avatar Cycle. We'll discuss the source later. For now, we'll focus on the Avatar Cycle.

"There's a particular order the Cycle goes in. Since the current Avatar is an airbender, the preceding one was a firebender, and the next one will be a waterbender. The cycle goes in the order of water, earth, fire, and air. Even though the Avatar can bend all four elements, he starts with the element he was born into. Since the current Avatar is an airbender by birth and nationality, he started with air. The Avatar learns the elements in the same order as the Cycle. Whichever nation he was born into, the order of the elements he learns goes accordingly: the current Avatar began with air, so his next element was water, then earth, then rounding it out with fire. The Avatar will encounter trouble learning the element that's opposite to his own. As an example, it's tough for a firebender Avatar to learn water. However, it's not impossible.

"And as you know, lots of people populate this world. But there can only be one Avatar at a time. The Avatar's identity is revealed to the world on his sixteenth birthday. That's when he begins his travels around the world to seek out masters who will teach him about the elements and his job as the Avatar. It isn't just the elements the Avatar must learn. He also must seek out a spiritual guru to learn about the spiritual side of being the Avatar. After all, the Avatar is the bridge between the physical and spirit worlds. It's his job to keep peace. And that's the thing that leads into the story of this show."

"FINALLY!" Keldeo said, having heard enough exposition. "You're getting on with it at last!" In response to that, Excadrill created a small rock glove and clasped Keldeo's mouth shut with it.

"The four nations are as follows," Ryu explained as Keldeo made a muffled groan of frustration. Excadrill used her earthbending to carve a map of the world into the wall. Ryu walked over to it and pointed to the topmost and bottommost continents on it. "The North and South Poles are where the Water Tribes live." He then pointed to the giant continent on the east. "The Earth Kingdom is populated by the earthbenders." Next, he pointed to the midsized continent on the west. "Firebenders live in the Fire Nation." And finally, he pointed to four little spots all over the map, one for each general compass direction. "And the Air Nomads are the airbenders living in the four Air Temples, of which we are currently in the Southern one. The show's story actually begins with the Fire Nation. You see, the four nations lived together in harmony long ago. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. They staged an imperial global takeover and are attempting to conquer all nations to unite them under the rule of the cruel Firelord Ozai. And only the Avatar could stop them, but he vanished when he was needed the most. This started with the original desire for expansion masterminded by Firelord Sozin, and over the course of the next 100 years, his plans were passed down his family line, and the Fire Nation came closer to victory every year. And with no Avatar around to stop them, the world's future looked bleak. And especially since Sozin led an attack on the Air Nomads and killed all of them, that created the possibility that the Avatar Cycle ended, since there would be no nation for the next Avatar to be born into. No Air Nation, no airbender Avatar. The Fire Nation appeared to have won by the time the show started up. The first episode picked up on the note that the Avatar was supposedly never reborn as an Air Nomad. However, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe remained hopeful that there was indeed still an Avatar. Fortunately, she was right. She and her brother Sokka found the current Avatar frozen in an iceberg. As it turns out, the one Air Nomad who got away from Sozin's attack was the current Avatar, Aang. And now that they'd found him, a glimmer of hope returned to the world. Now Ozai, the current Firelord, had some opposition that could mean the end of his family's terrible legacy. And that's the show's general premise: stop the Fire Nation's global takeover. Of course, he only has a limited time to do it. That next summer, Sozin's Comet is to enter the atmosphere and give firebenders a giant powerup. They'd be unstoppable with that much power."

"And he does, right?" Zorua asked. "He does stop those terrible firebenders, right?"

"At this point, I can't divulge that. I'd like to focus first on the subjective stuff. For starters, I'll focus on the aspect that turned me away from Friendship is Magic so completely that I didn't get motivated to evaluate anything else about it: the characters. And by the way Excadrill, could you undo that rock glove?"

Excadrill nodded and did as she was told. Being able to speak again, Keldeo took his chance to say, "I've wanted to hear this. How much better than the mane six are Team Avatar?"

"**_Worlds_** better," Ryu said with emphasis. "For starters, they didn't lose my respect practically as soon as I got to know them. In fact, the first episode is almost entirely devoted to introducing the main cast."

"So is—" Keldeo stopped himself as soon as he saw Excadrill's rock glove hovering toward him.

"From the first few minutes, it's established as follows: Katara is a hopeful young waterbender and Sokka is a skeptical wannabe warrior. And as soon as they meet Aang, he's established as being fun-loving. And honestly, the South Pole looks as though it could use some of that. And even if Sokka at first comes across as mean, remember that the episode's intro mentioned that his (and Katara's) father went off to fight the Fire Nation. So, Sokka is basically the incumbent Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Not to mention his sister Katara is the only waterbender remaining there, so she can't even properly train.

"But that changes when she and Sokka meet Aang, whom they find frozen and preserved. As it turns out, he'd been like that for the past 100 years, which unfortunately gave the Fire Nation the opportunity to take over almost all of the world. But now that he's back, he can now make up for his absence. Also, now that he has a new friend who's a waterbending trainee, he won't be the only one learning it himself. At first, it seems like the show's goal is to find a master to teach Katara in the ways of waterbending. And actually, the North Pole is the final destination for our heroes in the first season. Eight episodes in, and we learn about Sozin's Comet, giving the heroes a deadline: the next summer. And since the show started at the South Pole, the trip to the North Pole literally spans half of the planet, and also the whole first season.

"The first season is mainly exposition, setting up lots of things that become important later on. Whether it be characters, location, this season foreshadows most of everything important. And speaking of characters, that's what sold me on this show. There's just about nothing wrong with them."

"I _KNEW_ you were going to say that!" Keldeo shouted. "Spike was right! You—"

"Excadrill, steady your rock glove," Ryu said, catching Excadrill in the act of attempting to silence Keldeo once again. "I will allow some opposition to my claims this time, because Keldeo's kinda right. The characters in this show are actually not flawless. And since I'm on the topic of Book 1, it's a good time to address this. In fact, both of the most cited examples of this show's stumbling came from this very season. Those episodes were 'The Great Divide' and 'Bato of the Water Tribe.' The latter was brought up by Spike the Snob, and I'll be fair to him by conceding that it was rather stupid of Aang to keep the map to their father Hakoda from Katara, Sokka, and Bato. And I will agree with Doug Walker in that the episode had some strange contrivances throughout most of it, such as how Aang leaves just before the part of the conversation that would've motivated him _not_ to make his bad choice. And also how flip-floppy Bato was about Katara and Sokka changing their minds about ditching Aang. I mean, he at first supports their disappointment-fueled decision to leave Aang behind after he owns up to hiding the map, and then when they change their minds and go back to Aang, he supports _that_ decision, too. Very flip-floppy, indeed.

"However, even though the execution of that moral needed some working on, it still established Aang, Katara, and Sokka as a sort of family unit, as Doug described. Really, I can't describe it any other way. Plus, that was fifteen episodes into the show, meaning that while I was disappointed in Aang, Katara, and Sokka for their poor decisions and actions in that episode, I had thirteen episodes before it to see how they're established as being likable characters who I wanted to win their struggle against the Fire Nation. Not to mention the forty-six episodes after that as well."

"Wait, thirteen?" Keldeo asked. "Fifteen minus one isn't thirteen, Ryu."

"I know it isn't. I said there were thirteen episodes prior to 'Bato of the Water Tribe' that sold me on the main heroes because there was one episode among the fourteen that also had some dumb writing moves about it. I speak, of course, about 'The Great Divide,' the eleventh episode of the series. The episode that ended with Aang resolving a conflict between two tribes by lying to them. He made his own version of the tribes' origin story, which by the way changed depending on which tribe told it and helped cause all their trouble, and that version brought them together again. It seemed to teach that it's fine to lie to the faces of many hundreds of people for any reason at all."

"Seriously?" Keldeo asked, shocked by the brief episode synopsis. "And yet you get on the case of the Mare Do Well incident?"

"Okay, Keldeo, you do have a point there. Although I don't hate that episode, I don't like it, either. To me, it just happened. And to be totally honest, I would've liked to see the episode end like this."

* * *

_Sokka: That's some luck you knew Gin Wei and Wei Gin._

_Aang (sadly): Yeah. If only I actually _did_ know them. I made the whole thing up._

_(Sokka and Katara look shocked)_

_Aang: I couldn't think of anything else to do. The only choice I had was the wrong one._

_Katara: If it was all you could do, it's fine. The tribes are finally together again._

_Aang: Yeah… I guess so. I just wish there was a different way._

* * *

"Actually, I think that ending may have caught some ire due to Katara's line there," Ryu continued. "There probably was no truly good way to end that episode."

"Good try anyway, Ryu," Keldeo reassured. "All things considered, you really are a good writer yourself. You know, why don't _you_ write a 'My Little Pony' episode or fanfic sometime? I'd watch it, or read it."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to refuse," Ryu responded. "Anyway, the bottom line is that the main cast is certainly not flawless, and those two episodes are the best examples of their track records being smudged. See, it's fine if characters have flaws about them; it gives them their own arcs in which they overcome them. In this show, they eventually did at many points. I'll even admit that the main cast of 'Friendship is Magic' overcame some of their own flaws. It's just that they fell victim to their flaws, or even worse ones, too many times for me to enjoy."

"I think I get what you're saying now, Ryu," Keldeo said. "You think the mane six are _too_ flawed, and that they overcome them too many times or suddenly develop worse ones that made you lose respect in them."

"For the record," Zorua added. "I got that impression all along while we were in Equestria."

"That's right," Ryu clarified. "I just couldn't handle it anymore, and it drove me away from the show's other aspects."

"I understand how that feels," Keldeo replied. "I'm not fair toward 'Friendship is Witchcraft.'"

"And I don't blame you for that."

"Also, I think Spike the Snob was wrong about you. You're a _lot_ more fair than I thought you'd be. You aren't an 'oppressor of effort and good.' Honestly, I expected nothing but favorable bias from you about 'Avatar – the Last Airbender,' but you didn't show it. You just admitted it had a problem. Well, two actually. Well done."

"Thanks, Keldeo. And you know, I guess I was out of line launching that spiel at you when I brought you here. So, I apologize for that."

"It's fine, Ryu. And I'm sorry, too for my behavior."

"You're forgiven for that, Keldeo."

* * *

"Keldeo, you traitor," Spike the Snob seethed, observing the earlier events from the Spirit World. "I guess we'll really have to do this ourselves after all, Shyamalan."

"I told you we couldn't rely on Keldeo," Shyamalan responded.

* * *

"To be honest, I'd like to hear more about this show now," Keldeo continued. "Did they ever get to the North Pole?"

"Yes, they did," Ryu answered. "But in reviewing this show, I don't want to spoil too many events. But yes, their adventure at the North Pole was a spectacular one, and a fitting end to Book 1. Book 2 puts into effect a few of the things introduced in Book 1, such as the Avatar State's power and its fatal flaw. It definitely was more story-driven than Book 1 was. In fact, the middle point of Book 2 begins the buildup to the last good opportunity the heroes have to stop the Fire Nation before Sozin's Comet arrives: the Day of Black Sun. On that day, a solar eclipse is to happen, and the firebenders would lose the ability to firebend for the entire time the moon blocks the sun. To put that plan into motion, Aang and friends needed to enlist help from the Earth King in Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom's capital city. It's there that the season ends, and on probably the bleakest note of the whole show's run."

"Don't tell me the Fire Nation—"

"Yep, they do. All thanks to the new villain Book 2 introduces. Book 1 had Fire Nation Prince Zuko as its main antagonist, Book 2 had his even worse sister. This is Princess Azula, a sociopath if there ever was one in family entertainment. Fear, manipulation, and power is her game, and no one else, especially Chancellor Long Feng, is even a player."

* * *

_Long Feng: Now comes the part where I double-cross you. (Turns to the Dai Li agents behind him) Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess!_

_(Nothing happens)_

_Long Feng: I said 'arrest her!'_

_(No response)_

_Long Feng: What is wrong with you?!_

_Azula: It's because they haven't made up their minds. They're waiting to see how this is going to end._

_Long Feng: What are you talking about?_

_Azula: I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing, so you had to struggle, and connive, and claw your way to power. But _true_ power, the divine right to rule, is something you're _born_ with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne, and which one is going to be bowing down. But _I_ know, and _you_ know._

_(Azula walks over to the Earth Kingdom throne and sits on it)_

_Azula: Well?_

_(Long Feng reluctantly walks forward and bows)_

_Long Feng: You've beaten me at my own game._

_Azula: Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player._

* * *

Keldeo and Zorua were bewildered at the scene they just saw.

"Did this show just get away with a coup d'état?" Keldeo asked.

"Yes it did," Ryu answered. "And Ba Sing Se fell, leaving the world practically in the Fire Nation's hands. Book 3 is, of course, the climax and resolution act of the overall story, in which Prince Zuko comes to an important decision in his loyalty, Katara confronts her mother's murderer, and the battle for the fate of the world is fought. Actually, speaking of Katara's confrontation with the man who killed her mother, that's probably my favorite ethical lesson in the show. Observe."

* * *

_Yon Rha (on the ground and begging): I did a bad thing. I know I did, and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take _my_ mother? That would be fair._

_Katara: __I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing. But now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty._

_Yon Rha: Please, spare me._

_Katara: But as much as I hate you,… I just can't do it._

_(Katara and Zuko walk away, leaving Yon Rha whimpering on the road)_

* * *

"She knew by that point that personal revenge wouldn't satisfy her after all," Ryu explained. "It's an empty experience, and a slippery slope. That's why I didn't do the mane six in. I may hate them with a passion, but not enough to think I'd accomplish something by killing them. In fact, I never even considering sinking so low."

"I beg to differ on that, Ryu."

Everyone turned back to see a portal opened by a man dressed in a grey hooded jacket and a mask. With him was a small purple dragon dressed in a cape and a mustache.

"Getting revenge on you would totally satisfy me," the dragon said. "You too, Keldeo, for betraying us."

"Well, Spike, Ryu's right," Keldeo responded. "I guess it's a good thing I cooperated with you. It led me to discover how wrong I was to participate in your plan. Plus, he knows what you're planning."

"Indeed, so bring it forward, Shyamalan," Ryu said, surprising everyone. "Spike, I accept your challenge. For a while, I've been intrigued by Shyamalan's adaptation of this show. Now I finally have a chance to satisfy my curiosity."

"Ryu, don't!" Zorua begged.

"Don't worry, Zorua. I can manage through this. It takes more than a bad movie or television show to subdue me." Ryu turned to Shyamalan and Spike. "Besides, I wanted some more guests in this temple to see the movie with. This should be fun."

* * *

**Next review: The Challenge of the Canonbenders: Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender"**

* * *

Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. Spike the Snob belongs to thatponywiththesword**. **"Avatar - the Last Airbender" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom.**  
**

* * *

**A/N: To thatponywiththesword: I mean nothing personal toward you at any point in this review, or the next one. I don't want there to be any hostility between us over what I think of MLPFiM.**


	11. November 2, 2014 - Canonbender Challenge

November 2, 2014 - The Challenge of the Canonbenders

* * *

At last, the movie ended. Ryusei Taylor had stuck it out and watched every second of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender," per the challenge of Spike the Snob, whom Ryu had unintentionally enraged with his views on 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic.'

"It's all over for you, Ryu!" Spike stated triumphantly. "Your show's been desecrated! Do you have any last words?!"

Ryu hadn't said a word, nor had he moved an inch while the movie played. But now that it was over, he took his chance to respond.

"Last words? Didn't I say it takes more than a bad movie or TV show to finish me off?"

"What?!" Spike shouted in disbelief. "But how?! What do you mean?!"

"Besides, seeing it now, I think the bad press heightened my expectations of how bad this movie would be. Seeing it now, my expectations were betrayed. It wasn't as bad as I was fooled into believing."

Spike and M. Night Shyamalan couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Okay, yes, it was not by any means a good adaptation of 'Avatar – the Last Airbender.' In fact, it's probably one of the worst adaptations of all time, but so what? Sure, it also confused a lot of older people from before this current generation into thinking that the show was based on the movie, but the same kind of thing happened to 'Resident Evil.' Sure, the characters were all characterized wrong, the acting was uninspired, the writing was simplistic, the bending was nerfed, and the story was too compressed, but again, so what? Bad movie, bad adaptation, it makes no difference to me. Directed by a foolish director and written by even more foolish people, but still people nonetheless. None of that changes anything about the fact that the 'Avatar' franchise is still a masterpiece. And not even a bad movie like this can damage it."

"But Shyamalan has no respect for you! Are you telling me that you accept that?!"

"Indeed. Why should I seek his respect anyway? Why should anyone seek respect from anyone just for being in a fandom or liking a show? I don't respect people or pets because they like what I do. Sure, it's a foot-in-the-door to making friends, but overall, friends are more than prizes awarded to you for liking something."

"Then why do you hate 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic' so much?! That's the exact lesson it preaches!"

"As I explained when I was in Equestria, I don't like the main characters. They upset me too much for me to look past them and evaluate anything else. You, Spike, were the last one I lost respect in. But you don't need my respect; none of your friends do. They're all friends and have many more of them; is that not enough? And for the record, I don't want _your_ respect, either, Spike. I'm just as unworthy of it as you are of mine."

"Then why did you even accept my challenge?"

"Because I recognized an opportunity to hopefully educate you about something important. See, I learned about friendship from numerous other sources. 'Avatar – the Last Airbender' is by no means the only show to preach positive messages. But if you and I couldn't be friends, nor even respect one another, then we could at least just do our jobs as critics in peace. Who knows? Maybe we'll warm up to one another and gain respect in one another after all. After all, as critics, it's our job to share our opinions with the world. Inevitably, there will be disagreements. It's part of life. Someone announces that they don't like Disney, some support that opinion, and others oppose it. I revealed my disdain for 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic,' and it upset you. In fact, I know this was a personal vendetta, since the main cast are all dear friends of yours. While I can't apologize to you for the offense I caused you, I'm not proud of it, either. At the same time, you responded to my disdain for 'Friendship is Magic' by revealing a possible unfavor toward 'Littlest Pet Shop.' Now, the pets are dear friends of mine, which I should've been treating a lot better than I've been lately. By all rights, I should've been offended for their sake, especially since you slandered them more completely than I did your friends. I could've reported your chapter for abuse. But do you know why I wasn't offended and didn't report? Because you're a critic, just like me, someone whom I shouldn't care about the opinions of. And I don't care what you think. Sure, it's nice to receive a compliment, and by the way, thanks for the accolades toward my Pokemon stories, but it's not good to care about one to such an extent that you think you're the best writer in the world. And I don't. I'm certainly no Theodore Geisel, George Orwell, or F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's also not good to dwell so much on negative feedback, either. Irresistibly, we may slip up in both those counts, but overall, just do what you do."

Spike couldn't even adequately respond to Ryu's speech. All he could do was turn to Shyamalan.

"Why aren't you doing anything?!" he demanded of the director. "You said you were going to help me destroy this rat!"

"I can't now," Shyamalan said. "I'm powerless against a fan whose love for his favorite franchise makes him able to tolerate my destruction of it. He doesn't care what I think of his kind. Since I've just become the victim of a plot twist, you're on your own, Spike the Snob." With that, Shyamalan Canonbended his way into his film and left the Southern Air Temple.

"No! Come back here!" Spike demanded desperately. "You can't just leave me here to destroy Ryu on my own!" But it was too late. Shyamalan was gone.

"It's over, Spike," Keldeo said. "Your revenge plot failed. Ryu's more tolerant than you thought he was. Didn't you hear him this whole time? He never once raised his voice at you."

"And he didn't even airbend at you, either," Zorua added. "Why don't you just go back to Equestria? You need to calm down."

"Here, have some tea," Ryu offered, holding a full teacup toward Spike. "It's from Iroh's Tea Shop in Ba Sing Se."

Spike angrily swiped the tea from Ryu and drank it, all without removing his angry eye contact from the ferret.

"Fine, you win for now," Spike said. "I'll go back to Equestria. But one day, Ryu, you'll see something that really will destroy you. I promise you that." As he approached the portal to Equestria he used canonbending to open, he turned back to say, "And since you really do value friendship, go apologize to all of yours!" With that, he left as the portal closed.

"I plan to," Ryu said. "Because you were right in your journal; I've been a bad ferret."

"Well, it isn't too late to make up for it," Zorua said. "And I gotta say, you matured a lot lately. And it only took a month-long vacation in this temple to do it."

"Indeed. And after I apologize to them, I'd like to share this world with them, too. After all, as great a job as Aang did in service to this world, his successor has quite an epic tale about her, too. When her legend ends, let's all meet back here. I doubt you'll want to wait here for a month or two."

"That sounds good to me, Ryu," Keldeo responded. "We all have a way to reach each other, after all."

"Yeah! We're all canonbenders!" Zorua added. "I guess all critics have that ability."

"Which potentially makes us too powerful for our own good if we're not careful," Ryu said. "Anyway, I'll see you both later."

The three critics used their canonbending to return to their respective worlds. In Ryu's case, all he had to do was shut off his holodeck. As Spike the Snob said, he owed some apologies. So that's what he set out to do.

* * *

**A/N: Just to clear some things up once and for all: yes, "The Last Airbender" is a horrible movie. But I meant what Ryu said in this journal: it's just a bad movie; it's not the "death of the franchise." Just watch the show again. Also, though Ryu (the character) didn't, I (the author) will apologize to thatponywiththesworddotcom for offending him.**


	12. November 6, 2014 - Yes, for Kids

November 6, 2014 - Yes, for Kids

* * *

_Nostalgia Critic: You know, for kids!_

* * *

You know, that's such a great stock phrase. It's an all-too-true callout to any moment in family entertainment that goes a bit far, whether it be because of violence, or because of sexual stuff. Even if a work of entertainment or art is intended for a certain audience, it's fine to push boundaries. Although it is easy to forget this, but no matter how far something goes, it's still intended for a certain audience.

What I mean by that is this: let's take various Disney films as an example. "Cracked" did a list of graphic Disney deaths, among their many other list of stuff that could be considered against the rules of family entertainment. However, even if a film had something as graphic as a man getting hung to death by a vine (Disney's Tarzan), it still is considered family entertainment in an objective sense. Disney films are objectively family films (except possibly "The Black Cauldron," which I think was a movie crippled by its own attempt to be hardcore), and no amount of violence or malevolence from the villains can change that.

Granted, it can be hard to identify who a work is marketed toward. All kinds of factors cloud that judgement: works getting periphery demographics (i.e.: Pokémon, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls), and as pointed out above, the less-than-family-friendly content. My best guesses as how to guess that would be the time something originally aired when it was new and the channel it aired on. But that's for TV shows. For movies, the rating is a quick way to tell. For books, it's a bit harder to tell. I think Mangas have an age rating system to them, too. But if the creator of a certain work admits to marketing it toward a certain audience, then there's the answer to that right there. Bryke admitted to creating "Avatar – the Last Airbender" for anyone, not just children. Lauren Faust admitted to creating "My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic" for "the little girl at home and her mom." But, most famously, Walt Disney also aimed for anyone when making his cartoons and films. As he famously put it, "adults are only children grown up."

So, in summary, if something meant for kids, the family, or whoever, has content that normally shouldn't be found in it, it doesn't magically mean it's no longer for the intended audience. It also doesn't mean the intended age group ought to be the only ones watching it, either. The "you know, for kids" joke is nothing more than that: a joke. A joke directed toward a boundary-pushing moment. No matter how the boundary is pushed, a work will still be a work intended for a certain audience.


	13. Schedule

**A/N: I think it may be clear by now that I'm a rather busy person, what with it taking up to a month (or more) for me to update anything on my profile. However, this doesn't mean I'm retiring. I plan on being here for quite a while to come. But anyway, I do apologize for long periods of inactivity. And I also apologize for having to close requests for the time being.**

**Also, here's the certainties of my review schedule:**

**The Legend of Korra  
Over the Garden Wall (requested by Matthais Unidostres)  
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (requested by Imperator Justinian)**

**I may be doing other things in-between some of them; these are just what's definitely coming in the future.**


	14. December 10, 2014 - Worst Multiplayer

December 10, 2014 – The Worst Multiplayer Experience

* * *

Yeah, lots of gamers have different ideas on what game shouldn't be played with anyone else. _Mario Party_ seems to be a top contender for that, so much so that there was an old joke going around saying "Mario Kart is how you make friendships, and Mario Party is how you destroy them." To be honest, for me, _Mario Party_ is in second place, and what's in first place will likely surprise everyone reading this. But before I reveal that, let me talk about what I like and don't like in competitive gaming. And since this is strictly about playing against other gamers, A.I. cheating (and yes, some games have cheating A.I. and advantages deliberately given to the computer; I wish I was making that up) will not make it into this discussion.

First off, I like easy learning curves. That way, you can catch up to anyone and anyone can catch up to you in a reasonable amount of time. I haven't played many fighting games other than the Super Smash Bros. games, but that appears to be a genre that's easy to learn the workings of.

The first of the things I don't like is unbalancing in any form. This is what led to the Smash community banning Meta Knight from Brawl tournaments (and as a side note, this was one of the motivations for every Brawl mod out there) and Garchomp from Pokémon competitions (back in Gen 4). Realistically, there can't be a perfect balance of characters in terms of power and performance. However, it's a tad too unfair to give everything to one or more particular characters to such an extent that everyone else is a weakling in comparison.

Back to what I do like for now; the next item is rules that can be understood by anyone. Anyone can learn what the A Button and the B Button does, but after some practice, they can learn what those buttons do in tandem with other buttons on the controller. After all, not all games can be as simple as "score the most points to win."

That actually leads to another thing I don't like about competitive gaming: hidden mechanics that only pros can understand. Air-dodging in Smash Bros. isn't a hidden mechanic, but wavedashing is, but I don't count that since it doesn't give too much of an advantage and I've heard it was a glitch of some sort. But in general, it isn't fair when you're playing against someone who found out some stuff about the game that isn't explained anywhere in the rules.

And finally, the last of the things I like is the lack of interfering factors. When the game just lets you play against the opponent, that's an ideal match.

What I don't like is the opposite of that: hazards that aren't inflicted by the opponent. The environment itself should never have a hand in a player's victory, plain and simple.

And the last of the things I don't like in competitive gaming is what's known as the "Golden Snitch" rule. This is basically when there's one particular aspect that automatically (or nearly automatically) decides who the winner is (such as the Quidditch item this rule got its name from).

And so that's what I like and don't like in competitive games. And it just so happens that my pick for the worst multiplayer experience is guilty of all but one of my least favorite competitive gaming tropes.

_Pokémon_ (main series) is my pick for the worst multiplayer experience.

No matter how hard Game Freak and TPCI tries, it will never be balanced; it's still not about skill so much as it is about literally fighting someone weaker than yourself, which is no accomplishment. The winner is always whoever knows how to properly abuse and exploit EVs, IVs, and Hold Items, the third of which makes it fall under the "Golden Snitch" rule (not to mention that some Pokémon types are living "Snitches"). Not to mention the fact that there are some Pokémon who really are completely incapable if victory, which technically means that there are hundreds of characters permanently weaker than others.

I had found out how broken the competitive Pokémon scene was back in the Gen 4 days. Which is why it's sad to see that even as we are now in Gen 6, just about nothing has changed. Therefore, my retirement from competitive Pokémon still stands.


	15. Dec 18, 2014 -Top 3 Pokemon Dub Changes

December 18, 2014 - My Top Three Most Surprising Pokémon Dub Inventions

* * *

I really hope this entry doesn't make me sound like a weeaboo, one of my absolute least favorite varieties of people. But, in truth, preferring the original Japanese versions of animes doesn't automatically make someone a weeaboo.

Personally, I think there are some cases where Japan did it better (i.e.: One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, etc.), most cases where they're about even (Pokémon, Kirby, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc.), and some rare cases where the dub did it better (Cowboy Bebop, the second Pokémon movie, etc.). As parenthetically noted one sentence ago, I categorize Pokémon as an anime that's about equally as good in both Japanese and English. But even then, the dub has made some strange choices.

And let me just get this out of the way now: my source for everything on this list is Dogasu's Backpack. It's a subsection on the bulbagarden wiki that talks about the Pokémon anime, mostly in terms of what changed in dubbing. The admin is a bit weeaboo-ish, but not to an absolutely unbearable extent (except for one article that's on my chopping block), and the stuff I've found out on there is surprising to say the least. For anyone who frequently visits that site, I regret to say you'll find nothing new here. But to those who haven't visited it, I recommend doing so.

Anyway, I'm getting on with it now.

* * *

3\. The Changes Made to the Fifth Pokémon Movie

* * *

Yeah, there's a full pages-long article about what changed about this movie, so go read that for more info. I'll just quickly summarize the most drastic stuff: the entire backstory of Alto Mare was changed (Japanese: a couple adopts two children and raises them with TLC (Tender Loving Care, not the channel that devolved into a fetish and exploitation network). An evil rain threatens to flood the city, and the children reveal themselves to be the Eon duo and then drive the evil rain away. They then gave the Soul Dew to their adoptive parents and then left for the wherever-they-were-until-the-movie-starts. English: An evil trainer gave his Aerodactyl and Kabutops orders to destroy a city. The Eon duo flooded the town and drowned the evil Pokémon.), and Annie and Oakley were made members of Team Rocket, when in the Japanese film, they were just independent criminal spies with no affiliation to any villain team.

* * *

2\. Adding Scenes to the Fourth Pokémon Movie to Remove the Subtlety of who Sammy Is

* * *

Actually, let me get something that has nothing to do with anything out of the way: the Iron Masked Marauder's name in the Japanese film is Vicious (not to be confused with the villain of Cowboy Bebop). Now, back to the topic on hand.

See, anime dubs usually take some stuff out. The dub of this movie is abnormal because it had some footage _given_ to it. 4kids commissioned OLM to animate three new scenes, one of which was a modified version of Ash's phone call to Professor Oak about Suicune, the next of which was a meaningless, not plot-important gag where Jessie, James, and Meowth fall out of Vicious's vehicle while trying to grab a peach that they later lose to a Pidgeotto, and the last of which was Ash's phone call to Professor Oak in which Oak somehow knew Sammy's name and then reminisces about the sketch he made of Celebi and Pikachu. The original Japanese ending simply showed Sammy getting home to the past safely. In fact, the Japanese film literally only had one clue as to who Sammy is, and that clue was the scene in the ending credits where Tracey finds Oak's old sketchbook and finds the sketch of Celebi and Pikachu (by the way, the dub kept that along with the rest of the credits scenes).

* * *

1\. The Changes Made to the First Pokémon Movie

* * *

I don't think this was too surprising. Any Pokémon fan who found out about this had to have been floored enough to track down the original Japanese film and watch it (like I did). To tell the truth, the first Pokémon movie is one of the only Pokémon-related things that I prefer the original Japanese version over. So, what changed? As if passionate net-surfers didn't already know, but oh well, I'll keep up this broken-record act for a while longer.

Mewtwo went from a confused living experiment going through an existential crisis to a common vengeful science thing wanting to destroy what made him. The "fighting is wrong" message was originally an "all life is equal" message (although it is brought up over and over again just like how the dub jackhammered their message into the audience), which means there was no "Brother My Brother"-like song interrupting the battle against the clones. And also, the dub made up its own soundtrack for the film. Personally, I think the dub soundtrack is a good one, but is nothing at all in comparison to the Japanese track.

* * *

And that concludes my list. Sure, some stuff was made up for episodes of the show, but they weren't nearly as significant as what happened to some of the movies, especially the ones listed here. For more information, take a visit to Dogasu's Backpack (it's best to use Google to find it, since it's so elusive otherwise). But in doing so, I'd advise you all to steer clear of the article about the Diancie movie (titled "Diancie and the Destruction of my Faith in the Dub"), which I will be giving a piece of my mind in a future entry.


	16. December 25, 2014 - Ryu's Gifts

December 25, 2014 - Ryu's Gifts

* * *

Late at night in the Downtown City Lab, when all the staff had gone home for the night, Ryu was wide awake and at work on something very special. His latest experiences in other worlds (yet all without even leaving the Littlest Pet Shop Day Camp) had given him time to think about a lot of things, namely his fellow Day Campers. More specifically, how he had been treating them since his anger at My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic hit a fever pitch all those months ago. All that property of theirs ruined by his wrath. Tomorrow was a special day, so it was a perfect opportunity to make his amends. With his private job finished, he was ready for tomorrow to come.

* * *

The Littlest Pet Shop wasn't open on Christmas Day, but that didn't stop Ryu. He had his own secret entrance into the Day Camp area, which he had let the other pets know in a note he sent to each of them. They arrived at 3:00PM as he had scheduled. Despite how nasty he had been the last time they were around him, they were a bit worried since it had been months since then. Strangely, he wasn't inside when they entered, but they did find presents addressed to them, as well as a giant item hidden under a shroud in the center of the room. There was another note attached to each of the gifts reading, "With my apologies." They were all very surprised at what they found in each of their presents.

"Ryu popped this when I had said 'darling' near him," Zoe said, showing off her favorite chew toy.

"It looks like he fixed it," Russell added. "He did the same with my checklist."

"And my wand, too!" Sunil added.

"He sewed my ribbon back together!" said Penny Ling.

"And he fixed my rubber chicken," Pepper said.

"He fixed my dancing shoes!" Vinnie added.

"And my paintbrush!" Minka finished.

"He fixed everything of ours that he broke!" Russell summarized.

"And that's just the beginning," Ryu said, coming out from under the shroud. "Merry Christmas!" He then removed the shroud and revealed the TV. As it turned out, he had also fixed that. The pets were absolutely floored.

"Is this why you were gone for the past two months?" Sunil asked.

"We kinda missed you, Ryu," Penny said.

"Correct, Sunil. And I missed you all, too," Ryu said. "My trip to the Southern Air Temple, via my not-so-private holodeck, taught me some things. Plus, I also got a big scolding from an angry baby dragon from Equestria that I had offended, and that also helped."

"So, what exactly did you find out?" Russell asked.

"What I needed to. Specifically, that I haven't exactly been that good a friend to you all at times. I mean, it's natural for anyone, even animals, to get angry at a TV show. But that was no excuse for me to break all your most precious items, as well as the TV, just because I happened to see what I interpreted as reminders of that show. I haven't learned to like it, but I have learned not to let my anger at it go out of control. None of you should have suffered for it. And since you did, I decided to fix everything I broke. But first, I had to teach myself how to. After all, society usually doesn't allow pets to go shopping for Christmas. Regardless, though, I decided this was the time to make my amends. I don't mind if I'm not immediately forgiven for my wrath, and honestly, I don't think you should—"

"You're wrong, Ryu," Russell interrupted. "I mean, sure, we were pretty mad at you for breaking our stuff, but we didn't hate you over it. I can't speak for all of us, but personally, I forgive you. I would've even if you got me a new checklist or nothing at all."

"Actually, I feel the same as Russell does, darling," Zoe added. "Can I say that now?"

"Zoe, yes you can," Ryu answered.

"Ryu, thanks and Merry Christmas!" said all the pets to Ryu as they gave him a present of their own. Ryu opened it and was very touched when he saw what it was. It was a Blu-Ray labeled "The Legend of Korra – Book 4: Balance."

"Don't worry, Ryu," Sunil said. "We didn't watch this ahead of you."

"One of the other animals from the lab told us you missed that entire season all this time," Pepper said. "So she showed me how a Blu-Ray burner works and so I scheduled that season to be burned onto it, so we can all watch it together. It was actually everyone's idea to do this."

"Well, everyone, you got me right here," Ryu answered, pointing to where his heart is. "Thanks so much, and Merry Christmas to you all."

"Merry Christmas, Ryu."


	17. December 31, 2014 - New Year

December 31, 2014 – New Year's Eve

* * *

The scene panned up into the sky as Chinese writing (that, if the predecessor series is any indication, translates to "The End") appeared. And on that note, the final episode of The Legend of Korra ended. Ryu and his pet friends had stayed at Ryu's lab for this event, to see the final two episodes of The Legend of Korra, and the dropping of the New Year's Ball shortly afterward. To Ryu, the former was the better event, though the others had favorable reactions to it. Tears were shed, excitement was high, cheers were shouted. All in all, it had been the TV event of a lifetime.

* * *

After about an hour, it was almost time for the New Year's Ball to drop. At that time, their hype brought on by the Korra finale had simmered down. Only ten minutes remained of the year 2014. Ryu took this time to reminisce on his short time as a Day Camper.

"Seven months," he said. "Yet, it somehow feels like a year. That could be because I'm only starting to get a sense of time."

"That's more than can be said of the rest of us," Russell said. "Even if it was only for a week, it's been great having you as a Day Camper."

"I feel the same way, Russell. I just wish I'd shown it better from the beginning."

"Yeah, it did take some getting there, but you got there. Besides, your Christmas gesture made up for a lot."

"And honestly, Ryu," Penny Ling added. "We've had fun with you all along, especially when watching your favorite shows with you."

"Even if sometimes your shows had things that terrified us," Sunil added. "Or elicited any kind of responses from us."

"On everyone's behalf, thanks, Ryu," Zoe clarified.

"Well, you're welcome everyone," Ryu responded. "There's thirty seconds left."

And so, the final thirty seconds passed, and 2014 became 2015.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the ****_very_**** brief description of The Legend of Korra finale, but I don't want to spoil too much of it at this point. However, I can say that it was an absolutely epic event, just as good as its predecessor's (Avatar - the Last Airbender) ending, and catching up to a finale of AtLA's caliber is no small feat. On that note, I'm now preparing reviews for that show. February will be Korra Month.**


	18. Regarding Korra Month

**A/N: So, about Korra Month. No, I'm not cancelling it. However, it will be going differently than I originally planned it. Instead of one entry per book, I will be devoting many entries per book. However, I'll still be spacing them out so that I'll still be covering one book a week. As there are four books in The Legend of Korra and also four weeks in the month of February, I think it'll work out. Plus, after I review the four books, there'll be a special entry at the end of Korra Month. I won't say exactly what it is until the day of its release comes.  
**

**After Korra Month is done, the schedule will be as follows: Over the Garden Wall (requested by Mathhais Unidostres) and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (requested by Imperator Justinian). Also, whenever the Death Battle between Toph and Gaara comes out, I'll be talking about that.**

**And finally, after I'm done with all that, Ryu's Journal will be going on a hiatus so I can start on my new Pokemon story.**


	19. February 1, 2015 - Korra Month Part 1

February 1, 2015 - Korra Month – Book 1 - Premiere Episode

* * *

**_Air_**_, Spirits, Change, Balance._

_After Avatar Aang and his friends ended the hundred-year war, the world was on its way to change. Much more was accomplished by them, but their prime had passed in due time._

_And that is where the story of the new Avatar begins…_

* * *

"Long time, no see," Ryusei Taylor said as he exited the portal he used Canonbending to open. "You're right on time."

"Really, Ryu," said Keldeo the Critic. "Did you think I'd be late for this? We did promise, after all."

"That's right!" Zorua added. "We agreed to meet up again once Avatar Korra's legend ended. And from what I've heard, it's over now, so now's a good time."

"And I know just the place," Ryu said. "My friends from the Littlest Pet Shop are waiting there, and it's close by. We're going to the South Pole. Follow me."

* * *

"Wait, since when was there a Spirit World portal in the South Pole?" Keldeo asked. "I went back and watched every episode of _Avatar – the Last Airbender_, and I never saw that here."

"Well, the world changed in Avatar Korra's time," Ryu answered. "We'll cover that when we get to it, but for now, just know that the Worlds are now connected. Denizens of both worlds can visit the other. I got permission from some Spirits for what we're going to do. Let's get going."

The three reviewers then entered the Southern Spirit portal.

* * *

The three reviewers entered a small tree, where Ryu's friends were waiting.

"Keldeo, Zorua, meet my friends," Ryu said. "This is Sunil Nevla, a mongoose. Vinnie Terrio, a gecko. Zoe Trent, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Minka Mark, a spider monkey. Pepper Clark, a striped skunk. Penny Ling, a panda bear. And Russell Ferguson, a porcupine."

"Actually, I'm a hedgehog," Russell corrected. "Ryu knows that. We can tell you all sorts of stories about Ryu, Keldeo."

"So you're who Ryu's been talking to lately," Zoe said. "It's nice to meet you, Keldeo."

"Nice to meet you, too, Zoe," Keldeo responded.

"So, we're all acquainted now," Ryu said. "I can't go into detail too much about this place since it'll be covered in Book 2, so I'll simplify it: this tree's roots bind the two worlds together and reach into all time. So we'll be seeing the world's memories of the time of Avatar Korra in here. As you can see, random memories of the world's events are being shown in here. So let's begin."

* * *

_Narrator: Earth. [Avatar Kyoshi earthbends one rock to the right side of the screen, and earthbends another one to the left side.] _

_Fire. [Avatar Roku firebends three fire punches to the right side, and turns around and bends an arc of fire.] _

_Air. [Avatar Aang airbends in a breakdance motion, and airbends out of his hand and foot while standing on one leg.] _

_Water. [a young Water Tribe Avatar waterbends a glob of water to the side, and she bends another one around herself in a circle, and she sends it flying at the camera which blocks the entire screen when it splatters. Fade to a picture of Team Avatar as the camera pans across.] _

_When I was a boy, my father, Avatar Aang, told me the story of how he and his friends heroically ended the Hundred Year War. [The tattoos on the picture of Aang glow.] _

_Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko [Fade to a map of the Avatar world.] transformed the Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic of Nations, [The camera zooms across the map.] a society where benders and nonbenders from all over the world could live and thrive together in peace and harmony. [Cut to a large city.] _

_They named the capital of this great land, Republic City. [The camera zooms toward the city across the water.] _

_Avatar Aang accomplished many remarkable things in his life. [The camera pans to show a large statue of Aang on Aang Memorial Island. The camera pans up to the sky.] But sadly, his time in this world came to an end. And like the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of the Avatar began anew. _

_[The camera pans up to the sun, where the show's title card appears. "The Legend of Korra"]_

* * *

"Who was the Water Avatar at the beginning?" Zorua asked.

"Korra, obviously," Keldeo answered just as Ryu was getting ready to. "Water comes after Air in the Avatar Cycle, remember?"

"I get it now. So, when do we meet Korra?"

Ryu simply pointed at the memory they were currently watching. "At a small house in the South Pole."

* * *

_White Lotus Admin: We have investigated many claims, both here and in the Northern Tribe. All have turned out to be false._

_[A Water Tribe man walks toward his wife and puts his hand over her shoulder. Upon hearing the doubt of the White Lotus leader, the duo smiles at each other.]_

_Wife: Then you should be happy to know, your search has come to an end._

_Admin: What makes you so sure your daughter is _the one_?_

_Wife: Korra! Please come in here!_

_[Suddenly, a slab of earth flies past the three members of the White Lotus, whose eyes all grow big in astonishment. Quickly turning to the right to see who bent the earth, a young girl stands within a round hole in the wall, regarding the members of the Order.]_

_Korra: _I'm_ the Avatar! You gotta deal with it!_

_[She jumps forward, and punches to the left, leaving a trail of fire. Performing a roundhouse kick, she sends a small fire arc toward the White Lotus members, making them slightly back away. She subsequently extends a small portion of the earth from the ground, causing the members to fall back even more. Sending another fire blast toward them, she sets the corner of the White Lotus leader's coat on fire. The leader immediately extinguishes the flames by retracting water from a small puddle on the ground. The camera pans up to show the impressed and surprised looks on the faces of the White Lotus members. Shift to a frontal view of young Korra, as she displays waterbending by raising a trail of water to her left. She proceeds to stomp the ground, levitating a chunk of earth, and slamming it away to her right. Finally, she bends a fire stream at the camera, blocking the entire camera's view of the scene.]_

* * *

Keldeo and Zorua were amused at the scene that had unfolded. Ryu was smiling in satisfaction as if he knew that would be the reaction.

"How's _that_ for a main character introduction?" Ryu asked.

"That was bold," Keldeo answered. "I can tell she's going to be a headstrong Avatar."

"Hold that thought. Let's catch up to the present time, which luckily is the very next scene."

* * *

_[When the fire dissipates, a seventeen-year-old Korra, who is wearing red armor, emerges from it, and quickly kicks two fire blasts toward a man wearing the same armor. The man raises his arms in protection, but he is still sent flying and crashes to the ground. As Korra lands, two men, wearing the same armor as well, simultaneously shoot fire streams at her. The camera moves back to reveal that five people are observing the fight. The scene cuts to Korra as she is engulfed in a ball of flames and removed from view, but she dissipates the fire by moving her hands in a circular motion. As she takes on a fighting stance again, one of the men charges her, shooting three fire blasts at the Avatar, but she dodges the first one, dissipates the second with a grunt, dodges the third, and rushes forward. When the man jumps up and sends two fire arcs in her direction, Korra tumbles underneath the flames, and extends her leg, throwing him off balance. He flips over several times and crashes to the ground, but manages to stand up right away. Korra, now in between the two men, catches the fire stream of the man in front of her head on, while she also kicks back the guy that was charging her from behind, knocking him down. Retaliating with fire blasts of her own, she manages to knock down the firebender. Quickly turning back and forth to defend herself against incoming fire blasts from both men, she powers up her own attack and fires it at the man in front of her, sending him flying all the way up a nearby triangular roof of a small building near the training grounds, where he slides down unconscious, leaving a trail of smoke. The scene changes to the five spectators, who turn out to be an elderly Katara and four members of the Order of the White Lotus, one dressed in red.]_

_Katara: [Impressed] She's strong._

_White Lotus Admin: [Dismayed] She lacks restraint._

* * *

"Wait a minute, Katara's still alive?" Keldeo asked. "She's gotta be in her eighties."

"You're right about that, Keldeo," Ryu replied. "About a decade younger than her actress, Eva Marie Saint. Now, I can't resist going on this tangent, because getting someone like her to be in a cartoon amazes me to no end."

"Do tell," Zorua said.

"First off, it's always impressive when cartoons or video games can get actual screen celebrities to voice a characters or many. It's one thing to get currently active celebrities on board for these things, whether it be Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan in Disney's 'The Great Mouse Detective,' Robin Williams as the Genie in Disney's 'Aladdin,' Mark Hamill as Firelord Ozai in this show's predecessor 'Avatar – the Last Airbender—'"

"Or 'Weird Al' Yankovic as Cheese Sandwich in 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic,'" Keldeo added.

"Yeah, him too," Ryu responded. "Despite that, I still think Weird Al is a hilarious musician. As I was saying, it's impressive when animation and video games in general can get celebrities to do voicework. Now the reason why it impresses me that Eva Marie Saint was in this has to do with the era she worked in. Her birth year is 1924, for instance, which would place her acting career in the era of celebrated actors like Humphrey Bogart, Orson Welles, Jimmy Stewart, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, and many, many others."

"No offense Ryu," Zorua said. "But I don't know who _any_ of those actors are."

"You're not alone, kid," Pepper said to Zorua.

"You can look them up later, Zorua," Ryu said. "Bottom line, Eva Marie Saint is an actress from Hollywood's Golden Age, as it's called. And for a cartoon of _this_ era to get a Golden Age Hollywood actress on board, even for just six episodes of this entire show's run, is an achievement."

"Good for this show, then," Keldeo said, trying to sound impressed. "I'd be more impressed if I knew more about what you just said. I mean, I really do think it's great that this show got someone so famous, don't get me wrong. So can we get back to the show?"

"For that, you don't need to ask."

* * *

_[Scene changes to the last firebender charging Korra while showering her with a fire stream. She runs toward the individual, smiling confidently. The camera moves back to show how Korra runs straight into the fire blast, parts it, and pushes the man's arms apart, effectively stopping his bending. She uses him as a step-up to propel herself into the air. From her elevated position, she kicks a fire arc in the bender's direction, and proceeds to shower him with a powerful fire stream as she descends. The man tries to block, but is thrown backward, where he sags down and slowly falls on his back with a light groan in defeat, smoking lightly.]_

_Korra: [Raising her hands in triumph.] Woohoo! [Cut to a shot of the unfazed spectators. An overview shot shows Korra running up to them.] Hey, why all the doom and gloom, people? [Frontal shot as she removes her helmet. One of her opponents recovers slowly in the background.] We should be celebrating! [Confidently raises three fingers.] Three elements down, [Holds one finger up.] one to go!_

* * *

"Bold, and a fast learner," Ryu summarized. "We'll see how that has advantages and disadvantages."

* * *

_White Lotus Admin: Ever since you were a little girl, you've excelled at the physical side of bending, but completely ignored the spiritual side. [Side shot of a bored Korra.] The Avatar must master both._

_Korra: [Slightly bowing her head.] I haven't ignored it, it just doesn't come as easy to me. [More upbeat.] But that's why I should start training with Tenzin immediately. [Stretching out arm to emphasize her statement.] He's Mister Spiritual._

* * *

"Ohh, cool! We're gonna meet a new Airbender!" Zorua shouted.

"Actually, my count is four," Ryu answered.

* * *

_Girl riding with family on a Sky Bison: [Talking very fast; excitedly.] Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? [Camera pans up to show the belly of the flying bison as it starts it descent.] It looks like we're there. [Korra runs up looking very excited.] I know it, this is very familiar! Are we here yet? Are we here yet? Ooh, please tell me we're here!_

_Airbender Master: [As he directs his flying bison, Oogi, to land; sighing in relief and annoyance.] Yes, Ikki, [Frontal shot of the Master and his family atop the bison. The youngest son is perched on his shoulders, gnawing on his head.] as I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, we are, [Relieved.] finally, here._

_[Cut to an aerial shot as Ikki and a slightly older girl excitedly jump off the bison, riding off its tail on air scooters. The Master descends from his bison, as Katara walks up to him.]_

_Master: Hello, Mother. [He holds his right arm in front of his chest as a way of greeting, with the young boy still on his shoulders, now pulling his father's ears. His daughters pull up on both his sides, with Ikki jerking his arm; solemnly.] I can't tell you how happy I am to see you. [Pleading in desperation.] Please, help me._

* * *

"And this is hands-down my favorite character for the first three books," Ryu said. "This is Avatar Aang's thirdborn son, Tenzin. And yes, just like Aang's mentor Monk Gyatso, Tenzin was named after Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama."

"I see," Keldeo said. "The writers have done a lot of research."

"What's a Dalai Lama?" Zorua asked.

"I wanted to know that, too, actually," Zoe added.

"Well, I can't explain it much because I don't understand Buddhism that much," Ryu started. "So all I can say is that the Dalai Lama is a very important central figure in Buddhism, comparable to the prestige the Pope has in Catholicism. That's the best I can figure, so I'm open to being corrected on this."

"Well, anyway, he sure has some crazy kids," Zorua said.

"Oh, yes, the kids. The Airbabies, as fans call them. The oldest daughter is Jinora, the middle child is Ikki, and the little boy is Meelo. And speaking of Jinora, prepare for one of the most epic cases of fandom tease I've ever seen."

* * *

_Jinora: [Slightly in awe.] Gran Gran, I've been reading _all_ about your old adventures. I've been dying to ask you: What happened to Zuko's mom?_

* * *

Keldeo perked up in excitement. "Oh my goodness! Are we finally going to find that out?!"

* * *

_Katara: Well, Jinora, it's an _incredible_ tale!_

* * *

Keldeo was practically on the edge of his seat, smiling widely.

* * *

_[To her surprise, she is interrupted by Ikki, who jumps right in between Katara and Jinora.]_

_Ikki: [Talking really fast, while jumping around.] Gran Gran, you look old. How old are you? And why is it so cold in the South Pole? [Jumping up and down clapping her hands, Jinora stands solemnly beside her, disappointed and annoyed.] Can we make a campfire, and all hurdle around it, and tell scary stories, and make snowmen? [Frontal view of Katara, who appears unsure of how to respond to Ikki's enthusiasm.] And then can you make the snowmen move with waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be [Switch positions to show how Ikki is still jumping over-excitedly with Jinora looking embarrassed beside her.] fuuun? Huh? [Jinora lowers her head in shame, while Tenzin notices his wife slowly sliding down the bison's tail, and walks over to her.] Wouldn't it?_

* * *

Keldeo's enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment.

"Okay, that's it," he said angrily. "You're continuing Korra Month without me. So long."

"Wait, Keldeo, don't go!" Zorua said.

"He's not going anywhere," Ryu reassured. He turned to Keldeo. "Think you're fooling me?"

"Well, the show fooled me into thinking we were getting an answer to what happened to Zuko's mother," Keldeo defended. "So I think I have the right to pull my own fake-out prank!"

"I take it that scene offended you, then?" Ryu teased.

"Well… no, actually," Keldeo answered. "That was a clever joke on the fans. Still, way to build up some false hopes, writers!"

"If it makes you feel better, Keldeo, there's a series of Avatar comics that take place between the ending of 'Avatar – the Last Airbender' and 'The Legend of Korra,' and lots of stuff happens in those stories. And yes, it has the answer to what happened to Zuko's mom. But don't ask me about it; I still need to read those comics myself. But anyway, as it turns out, Korra's airbending training has to wait."

* * *

_Tenzin: We're only visiting for the night. Then I have to return to Republic City._

_Korra: But ... No, you're supposed to move here. You're supposed to teach me._

* * *

"But why does he have to return to Republic City?" Zorua asked.

* * *

_Korra: So, how long until you're ready to teach me airbending? A week? A month?_

_Tenzin: It could be much longer._

_Korra: I don't understand. Why are you making me wait?_

_Tenzin: I have a responsibility to Republic City. I am one of its leaders, and the situation there is very unstable right now._

_Korra: But you also have a responsibility to teach me. [Defiant.] Believe me, I'd be happy to find another airbending master, but you're the only one. [Sadly.] We're stuck with each other._

* * *

"Sheesh, Korra, it's not like you'll _never_ learn it," Keldeo said. "You know how long it must have taken other Avatars to learn _their_ final elements?"

"You know, Korra _could_ move to Republic City," Zorua added.

* * *

_Korra: If you can't stay here, then I'll go back to Republic City with you!_

_White Lotus Admin: Absolutely not! The city is far too dangerous. Avatar Aang tasked us with keeping you safe while you mastered the four elements._

_Korra: I get that, but I don't think keeping me locked up in this compound like a prisoner is what he had in mind._

* * *

"To be fair, there _is_ actually a good reason for that compound," Ryu said. "An episode later in this series will explain."

"Still, I think it would be better if she just waited," Keldeo replied. "She does seem to have something against patience, but I just hope it isn't going to cause her to do something rash."

"Funny you should mention that, because that night… Korra packs up to leave. And Katara agrees with this decision."

* * *

_Katara: Aang's time has passed. My brother and many of my friends are gone. It's time for you and your generation to take over the responsibility of keeping peace and balance in the world. [Places her right hand on the young Avatar's shoulder.] And I think you're going to be a great Avatar._

"So Korra bids her goodbye, and drops by her parents' home to say goodbye to them, and then hitches a ride on a ship heading to Republic City."

"Wait, did Katara just say Sokka was dead?" Keldeo asked.

"No, she said he was 'gone,' and same with the other members of the original Team Avatar," Ryu answered. "Remember, 'gone' doesn't always mean 'dead.' We'll just have to see for ourselves. But Aang most certainly is dead."

"Wee, I knew _that_, Ryu. Korra wouldn't be here if Aang was alive."

"Certainly. Anyway, Korra and Naga—Naga's the polar bear-dog—finally arrive in Republic City."

Keldeo and Zorua took in the episode's shots of the city.

"Wow. Now _that's_ a city!" Keldeo said in awe. "It's like this world's very own Castelia City!"

"Impressive, isn't it? And near Aang Memorial Island is Korra's destination."

* * *

_Korra: Air Temple Island. That's where Tenzin lives. You ready for a little swim, girl? [Naga puts her nose in the air, sniffing something before quickly running to its source.] Okay, okay! Food first, then air temple!_

* * *

"A new Air Temple?" Keldeo asked. "That's pretty neat."

"But first, the city has sights to see," Ryu said. "Like a food stand…"

* * *

_Korra: We'll take one of everything, please._

_Clerk: [Harshly.] That will be twenty yuans._

_Korra: Uh ... I don't have any money?_

_Clerk: [Infuriated, snatching the meat stick out of Korra's hand. Korra puts her hands in a karate-like position and makes an angry face.] Then what good are you to me?_

* * *

"The park's riverbank…"

* * *

_[Scene changes to Korra frying three fish on a stick with her firebending, as Naga searches the pond for more fish. As Korra takes the middle fish on a stick, Naga manages to catch a fish herself. The camera zooms out, revealing that Korra is fishing in the pond of a park. Shot cuts back to a broadly grinning Korra, who fries the fish again before blowing on it. A man appears in the bush next to her, eying her with a crazed grin on his face. As Korra happily bites in the fish, she notices the man to her left and gasps. Switch to a frontal view as the man emerges from the bushes.]_

_Bum: Uh, say, think I can I get one of them tasty-smelling fishies?_

_Korra: [Uncertainly.] Oh, uh, yeah, sure._

* * *

"The park's social center, or whatever you'd call this part of it…"

* * *

_Protester: [Talking through a megaphone.] Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders? Then join the Equalists! [Switch to an overview shot of the protester, showing that twelve people have gathered to listen to him.] For too long, the bending elite of this city [Korra and Naga stroll into view and halt to listen.] have forced nonbenders to live as lower class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment._

_Korra: [Surprised.] What are you talking about? [Proudly.] Bending is the coolest thing in the world._

_Protester: [Unimpressed.] Oh yeah? Let me guess: you're a bender._

_Korra: [Arrogantly.] Yeah, I am._

_Protester: [Provokingly.] Then I bet you'd just love to knock me off this platform with some waterbending, huh?_

_Korra: [Crossing her arms; irritated.] I'm seriously thinking about it._

_Protester: [Addressing his listeners.] This is what's wrong with this city! Benders like this girl only use their power to oppress us!_

_[The protester angrily glares at Korra, his spectators turning to her as well.]_

_Crowd: [Raising their hands in anger.] Yeah! Get out of here!_

_Korra: [Dismayed.] What? I'm not oppressing anyone! [Pointing at the crowd.] You're ... you're oppressing yourselves!_

_Protester: [Mockingly.] That didn't even make sense._

* * *

"And a shopping district…."

* * *

_Old Woman: [to Korra] [Scared.] You should get moving, young lady. [Whispering as she gets up.] It isn't safe._

_[A red carpulls up and stops. The front is ornamented with a golden plaque of a lion turtle. As it comes to a complete stop, three people get out, and approach a phonograph vendor who is cleaning one of his products.]_

_Thug #1: [Sarcastically, as the phonograph vendor, scared, turns at him.] Mr. Chung, please tell me that you have my money, [Close-up of the three shady characters all smiling slyly.] or else I can't guarantee I can protect your fine establishment. [The man turns toward his friend, who lights a flame in his left hand, grinning.]_

_Chung: [with a trembling voice.] I'm sorry, business has been slow. Please, [Offers the phonograph he was cleaning.] take one of my phonographs._

_[Without even taking his hands out of his pockets, the firebender effortlessly smacks the object out of the vendor's hands with a half moon spinning fire kick, reducing the phonograph to a burning pile of rubbish. Chung jumps back to avoid the blast, falling to the ground.]_

_Thug #1: [Sarcastically shaking his head.] My friend here is not a music lover. [Makes the money sign with his right hand.] Give me the money, or else –_

_Korra: [Interrupting the Thug.] Or else what, hoodlum?_

* * *

"Or else you're gonna get a beatdown from the Avatar!" Keldeo said, excited for some action.

* * *

_Thug #1: [Sarcastically.] Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple things. [Cut to a view from inside the shop of Mr. Chung, who is huddling on the floor. Cut to the young man and elderly woman in another store on the other side of the road who are watching what is happening; they look at each other astonished.] You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you [Points at Korra.], in the hospital._

_Korra: You're the only ones who are gonna need a hospital [Cut to a confidently looking Korra, who smashes her right fist in her left palm.] and, for your sake, I hope there's one nearby._

_[The gangsters adopt a confused look. Cut to Korra, who rubs her right fist into her left palm with a wicked look.]_

_Thug #1: [whispering threateningly.] Who do you think you are?_

_Korra: [Close-up as she keeps rubbing her fist and grins defiantly.] Why don't you come and find out?_

_[Close-up of Thug #1's eyes as they twitch enraged. The scene moves back as he suddenly bends a water bullet from an unseen water skin from under his coat. Korra stops the water easily with one hand and sends it right back at the gangster, freezing the water over his head. His balance lost, the man stumbles forward toward Korra, who hits him against the head with a back spinning kick, due to which he slams head first against the golden ornament on the car. The ice around his head shatters as he sags down. Thug #2 recoils, as a "that must have hurt"-look dons his face. Point of view changes to a shot from alongside the car, as the earthbender thug, enraged by what happened to his friend, charges Korra by jumping up. However, before he could land and earthbend, she extends the portion of earth where he was going to land on, catapulting him high into the air. Cut to the elderly woman and the young man at the fruit stand, their faces squeezed tightly against each other and their gaze following the flying earthbender.]_

_Old Woman: [Surprised.] What just happened?_

_Young man: [Surprised.] Did she just earthbend?_

* * *

"Well, the cat-deer's out of the bag now," Ryu remarked.

* * *

_[The two lower their gaze as the scene switches to the earthbender falling on a wire suspended from one building to the other. From the wire, the man is catapulted again a wooden advertising board, falls down on the pentice of a shop, and is thrown into a tapestry, which rips under his weight. The man falls down onto a shop display before flopping on the ground where he lies still. Seeing two of his allies defeated, Thug#2 aggressively bends a large fire stream at Korra. The fire fills the entire camera, but is soon parted by a cockily grinning Korra. She jumps forward, deflecting the man's fire by holding two small flames in her palms. As she reaches the man, she grabs his hands. The man screams in fright.]_

_Old Woman: [More surprised, clutching the young man's collar.] Can she firebend, too?_

_Young Man: [In awe.] Could she be?_

_[Scene changes to a side-view of Korra turning the gangster around one time to build up momentum. Close-up of her face as she grunts in effort. Scene broadens as she throws the man through the window of a radio shop. Switch to a shot from inside the shop where the man lies defeated. Korra slowly walks up to him.]_

_Korra: [Chuckling arrogantly, smiling haughtily.] Got an idea about who I am _now_, chumps?_

* * *

"And those thugs found out the hard way," Keldeo said. "You don't pick on the Avatar. Honestly, Korra kinda reminds me of Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah, I can see that," Ryu admitted. "Though Korra's actually likable. Speaking of whom, she spoils the thugs' getaway by earthbending their car into the air. The car then crashes into a shop, and metalbender cops take it from here. Unfortunately, Korra also gets arrested."

"For what?" Zorua asked. "She rescued a shopkeeper!"

"Wait, is that a statue of Toph on that building?" Keldeo asked.

"Yes, it is," Ryu answered. "This is the Republic City Police Station."

* * *

_Police Chief: Let's see. Multiple counts of destruction of private and city property, [Cut to Korra sitting inside on interrogation room, the Chief walking behind her reading from a clipboard. Korra, bound by her wrists to the table, follows her movements with a sad look on her face.] not to mention evading arrest ... [The Chief slams the clipboard on the table, and angrily glares at Korra, who is startled.] You're in a whole mess of trouble, young lady._

_Korra: But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper, and I had it ..._

_Chief: [Aggressively.] Can it! [Walking to the other side of the table; calmly.] You should have called the police and stayed out of the way._

_Korra: [Slightly pleading tone.] But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. It's my duty to help people. [The Chief gently puts the notebook on the table; Korra smiles a bit.] See, I'm the Avatar._

_Chief: [Cut to the Chief, her arms crossed; unimpressed.] Oh, I am well aware of who you are. [Waves fingers in contempt; leaning in, speaking with a softer voice.] And your Avatar title might impress some people, [Voice hardens as she straightens up again.] but not me._

_Korra: [surprised of the Chief's reaction. Culpably.] All right, fine. [Decidedly.] Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge._

_Chief: You're talking to her. I'm Chief Beifong._

_Korra: Wait, Beifong? Lin Beifong? [Excitedly.] You're Toph's daughter!_

* * *

"So I guess that means Toph was the first Chief of Police here," Keldeo guessed. "Like mother, like daughter, it appears, though Toph wasn't this cold."

* * *

_Korra: [A hint of amusement suppressed in her tone.] Well then, why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together._

_Lin: [Aggressively.] That's ancient history. [Raising the volume of her voice.] And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now. [Stretches her left arm to emphasize her words.] You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place._

* * *

"Actually, she has a point there," Keldeo said. He turned to Zorua and said, "By the way, _that's_ what Korra got arrested for."

"I see now."

"Yep, it's not kindly looked upon to cause collateral damage in a fight," Ryu summarized. "And Korra caused _lots_ of it."

"But will Korra ever be taught Airbending now that she's going to jail?" Zorua asked, concerned.

"Oh, and speaking of that, Tenzin drops by…"

* * *

_Tenzin: [Takes a deep breath. Arcs an eyebrow at Lin, and smiles. Switch to a side shot of Tenzin and Lin; charming.] Lin, you are looking radiant as usual._

_Lin: [Aggressively.] Cut the garbage, Tenzin. Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her._

_Tenzin: [Cut to Tenzin's face; seriously.] My relocation has been delayed. [Lowers his gaze toward Korra. Cut to Korra, who looks down guiltily.] The Avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where she will stay put._

* * *

"Well, I guess she blew it," Ryu said.

* * *

_Tenzin: [Broad shot of everyone from behind Korra; interrupting Korra.] If you would be so kind as to [Briefly glares at Korra.] drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages._

_Lin: [sighs] Fine. [Crossing her arms; in an aggressive whisper, while Korra rubs her wrists in the background.] Get her out of my city._

_Tenzin: [Cut to a side shot of Tenzin and Lin; calmly.] Always a pleasure, Lin. [He turns; in a hard tone.] Let's go, Korra._

_[Korra follows Tenzin, still rubbing her wrists. As she passes Lin, both eye each other in discontent. Cut a frontal shot of Chief Beifong, as she points with her index and pinkie at her eyes and back to Korra, glaring at her. Switch to Lin's point of view, as the metal wall moves aside again to let Tenzin and Korra out. Korra eyes Lin in malcontent. Angered, Korra bends over and exaggeratedly and mockingly mimics Lin's gesture that she will keep an eye on her, before picking up speed and leaving the room with an upheld head. Cuts to Lin, bewildered by what happened. She sticks up her nose, and assumes a dismayed look while crossing her arms again, grunting softly.]_

* * *

"I just love how she had to sneak in that final 'screw you' of a gesture before going back home," Ryu said, amused. "I think we've got an idea of what kind of Avatar she is by now."

"She's definitely no Aang," Keldeo agreed.

"And now it looks like she's going home," Zorua said sadly. "There's her getting ready to board a boat heading there…"

* * *

_Tenzin: [as Korra gets ready to board the boat] [Voice-over.] Wait. [Korra and Naga both stop walking. Aerial shot of the harbor, Tenzin and the Order members walk toward Korra. Switch to a closer shot of Tenzin and Korra as he stands before her.] I have done my best to guide Republic City toward the dream my father had for it, but you're right. It has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, [Frontal shot of Korra, as Tenzin puts a hand on her shoulder.] but you _are_ his legacy. [Switch to a lateral shot of the duo.] You may stay and train airbending here with me. [Korra gasps excitedly for air.] Republic City needs its Avatar once again._

_Korra: [Enthusiastically.] Yes! Thank you! You're the best!_

* * *

"What a relief!" Zorua shouted.

"I'm already starting to like Tenzin," Keldeo admitted. "I hope the teaching goes well."

"We'll see soon," Ryu answered. "For now, Korra's been officially welcomed to Republic City, to the excitement of the townsfolk and the convenience of a mysterious masked man."

* * *

_Masked Man: So, the Avatar has arrived early. It looks like we'll have to accelerate our plans._

* * *

"And that's the end of episode one," Ryu said. "Now it's time to do some evaluations on who we met so far."

* * *

**Next time: character evaluations, and episodes 2 through 6.**

* * *

_Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. "The Legend of Korra" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. "Littlest Pet Shop" belongs to Hasbro, DHX Media, and Discovery Channel (formerly The Hub). Episode transcripts came from the Avatar Wiki, with some changes made by me.  
_


	20. February 7, 2015 - Korra Month Part 2

February 7, 2015 - Korra Month – Book 1 – Evaluations

* * *

"Okay, so Keldeo, Zorua, my friends from the Day Camp, and I were going to take a look at episodes 2 through 6 today as well as evaluating some characters," Ryusei explained. "But then we got to episode 6, which excited Zorua to the point that he wanted to see what was to happen next after the bleak note it ended on. Basically, a domino effect happened. And so here we are; we just finished a marathon of Book 1. Therefore, the plan is as follows: an evaluation on multiple aspects of the season."

"Ryu, who are you talking to?" Keldeo asked.

"Nobody. Of course, anyone can visit this tree, so when the memory of this exact point in time comes up within it, it'll look like I'm talking to whoever's looking at it."

"…Ryu, I don't understand you sometimes," Keldeo said, giving up trying to make sense of Ryu's words.

"Don't worry. Book 2 will clear this up. But we have to finish this Book first. How did you like it?"

"Its ending stunk!"

"I agree!" Russell said. "For once someone else gets it!"

"But it was great getting there, wasn't it?" Zorua asked. "I thought this was an awesome season! I even liked the ending!"

"HOW?!" Keldeo demanded. "How can you enjoy an ending like that, where the happy ending _literally_ gets—"

Before Keldeo could finish, a rock glove clasped his mouth shut. Ryusei's Excadrill entered the tree to retrieve the glove.

"Thanks, Excadrill," Ryu complimented. "Though I didn't want you to do that. Still, we avoided a gigantic spoiler thanks to you." Ryu then addressed the two critic Pokémon. "Yes, the ending was divisive, I'll admit. But seeing as how this seems to be a 'fantastic journey, disappointing destination' situation, let's focus on that fantastic journey first, okay? Besides, the show goes all uphill from here. So, what do you say?"

"Sounds good to me, Ryu," Zorua said.

"I can handle that," Keldeo added. "After all, this book did have its share of awesomeness."

"Then it's settled. Tree of Time, do the thing."

* * *

"Characters, first of all," Ryu began. "Seeing as it takes three episodes for us to meet everyone who will become members of the New Team Avatar."

"Hey, let's not start at the best ones just yet," Keldeo suggested. "Honestly, there weren't too many interesting characters this season."

"Good idea, though I disagree with you on that last part. But then again, you haven't seen the whole show yet. Eventually, just about everyone gets a chance to shine. On that note, we'll start with the airbabies, as Tenzin's kids are nicknamed by the fans."

"In short, Jinora: smart and cool, Ikki: hyper and mildly annoying, and Meelo: obnoxious."

"Hey, I like Meelo!" Zorua responded in offense. "He's funny!"

"You're about his age, of course you say he's funny," Keldeo defended.

"Well, my thoughts are a little of both of yours," Ryu said. "Sometimes he can be funny, sometimes he can be annoying."

* * *

_Meelo: [to Asami] You're pretty, can I have some of your hair? [Holds out his hand.]_

* * *

"Well, okay, _that_ was funny," Keldeo admitted. "But the fartbending wasn't necessary."

"I'm with you on that one," Ryu said.

"Even though it was a great help against the Equalists."

"Bottom line: the airbabies made an okay enough impression. Sad thing is, this season seemed to focus only on developing Korra, because the other New Team Avatar members don't seem to stand out much."

"I don't know about that, Ryu," Keldeo responded. "Mako was pretty cool."

"And Bolin was funny!" Zorua added.

"Sure, but in this season, that seemed to be all there was to them," Ryu countered. "Of the New Team Avatar members, I think Asami was the best one this season. The writers also seemed to think so, since she was almost a villain like her dad. But they liked her too much to waste her like that."

"Yeah, Asami was awesome, too," Keldeo said. "She appeared to be the only one besides Korra who didn't seem like a rehash of old Avatar characters. Mako, as cool as he is, seemed to me like Katara's most serious side."

"Indeed. And Bolin seemed to be like a diluted version of Sokka. I mean, Doug and Robert Walker both refer to him as 'Sokka Lite' for a reason. But Asami was a standout. Looking past the love triangle drama she accidentally started, she's a pretty cool character. For the record, I always like seeing a non-bender be able to hold her own in a fight. Plus, even though she's one of two girls in love with Mako, she doesn't hate Korra over it."

"In fact, it's actually Korra who has a bit of a problem with this," Zoe Trent added.

"Also, I must disagree with almost all of the fandom on this subject," Ryu said. "The love triangle drama didn't distract from the overall plot of the season. If anything, to me, it was a nice break from the actual drama and peril. But it didn't make the actual drama not exist."

"But anyway, I also like Asami because of loyal she is. At first, she's resistant to the idea that her father Hiroshi works with Amon and the Equalists. But when she finds out, she refuses to join, despite having _great_ reasons to join. After all, she lost her mother to a firebending burglar, which by the way is Hiroshi's entire reason for working with Amon. But in the end, she decides to join New Team Avatar, because she doesn't think revenge will accomplish anything."

"Plus, her dad ironically becomes worse than the burglar who killed his wife," Keldeo said.

"While still on the subject of help for the Avatar, let's talk about Tenzin," Ryu said.

"Ryu, you were right about him," Keldeo responded joyfully. "I really like that guy."

"For starters, I always admire characters with the patience to put up with difficult characters," Ryu began. "Which, by the way, is why I like Luna and consider her the best—"

Keldeo perked up at Ryu's words.

"—character from 'Sailor Moon,'" Ryu finished, dashing Keldeo's hopes. "Even on that one time he finally lost his patience with Korra, he was still likable. Everyone has a limit, after all. He won't give up on her, no matter what."

"Yeah, Tenzin's a great mentor, but can I bring something up, Ryu?" Keldeo asked.

"Shoot."

"Yes, Tenzin is a very likable character. However, it made me angry at Korra at first because of how she was treating him. Especially here, where she just goes nuts after failing the gates course again and destroys it."

* * *

_Tenzin: [Close-up; shocked, slowly, and somewhat quietly.] That was a two-thousand-year-old historical treasure! [Closing eyes in frustration.] What ... [Angrily; his cape fluttering behind him.] What is wrong with you?_

_Korra: [Frontal shot; gesturing widely while speaking angrily.] There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing just like you taught me, but it isn't sinking in, okay? [Slants her head in frustration.] It hasn't clicked like you said it would!_

_Tenzin: [Frontal shot; on a calmer tone with his eyes closed.] Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me ..._

_Korra: [Frontal shot; angrily and louder.] I have been! But you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me! Maybe the reason I haven't learned airbending yet is because [Pointing at Tenzin.] you're a terrible teacher!_

* * *

"I couldn't believe Korra could do something like that and act this way about it," Keldeo said angrily. "Seriously, Ryu, how can you overlook that?"

"At first, I couldn't, actually," Ryu admitted. "I was happy she later apologized for that tantrum, but it didn't fix her reputation to me. Not completely, anyway."

"Then how is she your favorite character?"

"Find out later on in the series, where she gets better."

"You know, I get the feeling that this is one of those shows you'd need lots of patience for."

"Well, Keldeo, since you stuck with it for this long, I'd say _you_ learned something from Tenzin without knowing it."

"Good one, Ryu!" Zorua said, laughing.

"I'd actually like to point out something hilarious about Tenzin, if you don't mind," Ryu said.

"Have at it," Keldeo said.

"His voice actor is playing _heavily_ against his type here."

"And who is his actor?"

"Well…"

* * *

_Cave Johnson: Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade! Make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMN LEMONS; what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager! Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons! Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down... with the lemons! I'm gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that _BURNS YOUR HOUSE DOWN!

* * *

"No way…" Keldeo said in amused disbelief.

"Yep, J.K. Simmons voices Tenzin!" Ryu said. "I was floored, too, considering I've seen the Sam Raimi 'Spiderman' film trilogy, which had Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson."

"Unbelievable…"

"Well, since you mentioned Korra earlier, let's talk about her now," Ryu said. "First off, yes, her brashness can make her a bit hard to like. However, she's not so full of herself that she thinks she's always right, and that's what I like seeing. Plus, she's not even a bad person. She's definitely on the side of good and wants to help the world."

"That much I can admire," Keldeo responded. "I was definitely getting invested in her quest. And I _certainly_ didn't want Amon to take her bending away."

"Me neither, and—"

"Oh, Amon was very scary," Zorua said. "That's gotta be one of the scariest masked people ever."

"Yeah. Anyway, on that note, let's talk about the villains now."

"Well, we already covered Hiroshi Sato, and how revenge drove him to become an Equalist," Keldeo said. "By the way, 'Equalists.' Such a plain-sounding name for a group, but they gave that label power."

"It depends on how the label is used. After all, 'Team Plasma' didn't sound like a fearsome name at all, yet they, or rather the leader, turned out to be more vile than any other villain team in Pokémon history thus far. Oh, also, I love how you kept calling them 'Team Equalist,' Keldeo. Can't get the Pokémon world out of your head, huh? As they say, 'you can take the Pokémon out of the Pokémon world, but you can't take the Pokémon world out of the Pokémon.'"

"You're off-track again, Ryu," Keldeo said.

"Amon's fearsome and powerful; there, I'm focused again," Ryu responded. "Plus, his backstory about his childhood with Tarrlok was heartbreaking."

"Oh, you _had_ to bring _that_ up," Keldeo seethed. "Yakone's evil, plain and simple. He's as bad as Grings Kodai. There, I said it! He deserved to get his anytime-of-the-day bloodbending power taken from him by Aang! And let me tell you something now; it's bad enough that he taught his children how to bloodbend, but no man, absolutely _no man who forces his kids to bloodbend each other_, has _any_ right to be a father!"

"I've been electrocuted a lot," Zorua said. "And that was very painful. So I don't even want to _know_ what it feels like to be bloodbent."

"You know, Ryu, I'm surprised you didn't use that power on Rainbow Dash," Keldeo teased.

"It was daytime," Ryu explained. "Unless you're of Yakone's bloodline, bloodbending is impossible unless it's the night of a full moon. Plus, I didn't exactly want to resort to that. Being hoisted around by the fluids in your body is certainly not the same feeling as a hug. And finally, why keep bringing that up?"

"I was just wondering is all," Keldeo said.

"Well, anyway, having a terrible man like Yakone for a father, along with the harsh bloodbending lessons, it's no wonder Noatak became Amon and viewed bending as the root of all evil."

"That story almost made me pity Tarrlok, too. But Tarrlok was too much of a jerk to fully forgive."

"Tarrlok was terrible!" Zorua shouted. "Arresting people just because he thinks they're Equalists! It's like if meema were to attack all businessmen just because of what _ONE_ evil businessman did to us!"

"And that sums Tarrlok up," Ryu said. "Corrupt politician through and through. Despite that, though, his final moments were rather sad. Same with Amon's."

"Before we get to that, though, can we talk about something?" Keldeo asked. "How is Amon able to take bending away? He's a bloodbender, not an energybender! Even Tarrlok didn't know how it happened, even when he lost his bending to Amon!"

"Well, Amon had chi-blockers working for him," Ryu answered.

"What's that go to do with anything?"

"Well, Amon could possibly have used his bloodbending to create permanent, near-irreversible chi-blocks, therefore serving as a substitute for energybending. And so, boom, bending be gone!"

"That sounds very painful. And even Katara couldn't reverse it, even though she's a bloodbender, too, though she hates that. In fact, I remember hearing that she's the one who had bloodbending outlawed."

"A reasonable action. After all, bloodbending is almost like the Avatarverse's Cruciatus Curse. It's even punished with the same severity as an Unforgivable Curse."

"All things considered, though, Amon was a rather successful villain. He got Republic City, after all. And it looked like he was going to get the rest of the world, too. Thank goodness he was stopped. And I was happy to see Korra finally gain Airbending, even if the circumstances were convenient. An then, this happened a bit later…"

* * *

_Noatak: [Enthusiastically.] The two of us together again, there's nothing we can't do!_

_Tarrlok: [Looks angry and confused.] Yes, Noatak._

_Noatak: Noatak. Hmph, [Chuckles and smiles.] I had almost forgotten the sound of my own name._

_Tarrlok notices the electrified gloves and looks over to his brother. He takes one, without Noatak seeing him._

_Tarrlok: [Unscrews the lid of the fuel tank, placing the electric glove above it.] It will be just like the good old days._

_[A tear rolls down Noatak's cheek and Tarrlok electrocutes the fuel tank. Further shot of the boat exploding, forming a giant mushroom cloud.]_

* * *

"That was violent," Keldeo summarized. "And here I thought Amon, or should I say Noatak, would be Korra's enemy for the whole series. But now that we're here, let's talk about that awful ending, okay?!"

"Okay already! Have at it!"

"It's said that the Avatar can only gain full control of the Avatar State after lots of spiritual training and unblocking the Chakra blocks. So how did Korra only gain it when Aang's ghost energybended her to give her bending back to her after she lost it to Amon earlier?! She didn't unblock any Chakras; she literally got it handed to her by Aang, as well as a reset button for the de-bending from earlier! Oh, and then Korra herself presses the same reset button on Lin Beifong by giving her her Earthbending back! Seriously, that ending was a total mess! If it weren't for the amazing journey here, I'd have stopped watching right here, mark my words! Well, Ryu? Got any defenses for this one?!"

Ryu thought hard, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Exactly!"

"Well, I do have a theory, actually," Ryu said. "But it's a terrible one. Maybe Aang unblocked Korra's Chakra pathways when he energybended her. But that's a terrible theory because then that would raise the question as to why no past Avatar in all of history ever did the same for a successor. We didn't see Roku unblocking Aang's Chakras back in Book 2 of the previous series, after all. So, Keldeo, I'm with you on this. This was a mess of an ending. But I have another problem with it; how conclusive it was."

"Conclusive? Yeah, because an ending can't feel like an ending!"

"You misunderstand, Keldeo. What I mean by that is that this ending, contrived as it was, was very high-note and uplifting. It could have been the conclusion of the entire series. In fact, before Nickelodeon picked the show up for four seasons, this _was_ the ending. But it isn't the case since there's four books."

"Well, Ryu, I'm willing to see the other three books if you and Zorua are."

"Let's do it!" Zorua said.

"Okay, then. So, in summation: Book 1 is great, but ended on a note that divided fans. But it gets better from here. And we're going to see why. Tree, do the thing!"

* * *

**Next week: Book 2**

* * *

_Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. "The Legend of Korra" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. "Littlest Pet Shop" belongs to Hasbro, DHX Media, and Discovery Channel (formerly The Hub). Episode transcripts came from the Avatar Wiki, with some changes made by me. Cave Johnson excerpt from the Portal wiki. Portal is owned by Valve._


	21. February 15, 2015 - Korra Month Part 3

February 15, 2015 – Korra Month Part 3 – Book 2

* * *

_"And _this_ is the aspect about Book 2 I hate the most: Unalaq," Ryu said angrily. "And it's not only because he's a diabolical man, nor is it only because he's the murderer of the entire chain of Avatars that came before Korra, and nor is it even only because he betrayed his family, best friends, children, and forced spirits to work against their will."_

_"What other reason could there be?" Keldeo asked._

_"Well, Keldeo, you may take personal offense to this, being as you are religious. See, it has to do with the kind of character Unalaq is. Specifically, religious bigots, whom I think are the absolute worst people to ever exist. And believe me, it's a privilege if anyone hears me call them people."_

* * *

"And that's why it took an extra day to get this out," Ryu said, stopping the memory from playing any more. "Things got ugly after that last sentence."

"Well, Ryu, this is what happens when you phrase your thoughts so harshly," Russell chided.

"Well, now that I've calmed down, I can put it in better terms. See, I have no problem with religious people, nor do I with people who aren't religious. What I _do_ have a problem with is when people use any of their beliefs for bad things and say they're right. And it affects me more when it's religious beliefs being disgraced this way being as I know a lot of religious practitioners, like Keldeo here. He's Christian, and although I will always, _always_ disagree with his thoughts on homosexuality, at least he's not letting his beliefs turn him into some Torquemada-wannabe. You don't see him protesting at a funeral or claiming that a national tragedy was 'God's will.' Basically, just believe what you want to, and don't act so extremely on those beliefs, and you'll be fine with me."

"Ryu, I wish you'd phrased it like that yesterday," Keldeo said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for offending you so deeply."

"It's fine, Ryu. Deep down, I do understand your feelings. I don't like seeing my religion shamed by those bigots you ranted about."

"Honestly, I think Ryu was offended _for_ you, Keldeo," Zorua added.

"Anyway, Ryu, it's all good. But I am curious, though: are you Christian yourself?"

"Agnostic Christian in my case," Ryu answered. "And before you ask, no, I'm not gay. I'm what you'd call asexual; neither women nor men romantically interest me."

"I see."

"Well, seeing as how a character from The Legend of Korra got me onto this tangent, let's get to talking about Book 2."

* * *

"And seeing as how that character is this book's big bad, let's get him out of the way," Ryu continued. "As I already listed yesterday, his greatest crimes are his multiple betrayals of all close to him (except for Vaatu), his entire nature and pretentious personality, and his killing of Raava, which also obliterated the past Avatars, including Aang."

"Ryu, not to make light of this, but, as we saw this season, I almost kept calling him 'Unod,'" Keldeo confessed. "Their names almost sound alike."

"Yeah, kinda. But anyway, here's a case example of his holier-than-thou attitude. He attends the South Pole's Glacier Spirits Festival, and does this during a banquet held in his honor…"

* * *

_Unalaq: As your chief, it is my honor to speak at this festival, which was founded to bring our tribes together and restore the ancient balance between our world and that of the spirits. But I am saddened to see what it has become: a cheap carnival that celebrates greedy and trivial humans. I feel the time is fast approaching when the North can no longer stand idly by while our Southern brothers slip into total spiritual decay. Angry spirits are already attacking ships in your waters. I only hope we are not too late to change course._

* * *

"You smug son of a bitch," Ryu said to the memory that played.

"First off, Ryu, I wish you'd stop with the obscenities," Keldeo said. "Second, just like all of us, I knew Unalaq was a villain as soon as I saw him. Coming down to the South Pole to basically call them 'dumb seculars' confirmed it, as did this line at the end of the premiere episode, which he said almost immediately after Korra discharges Tenzin as her teacher and hires him to take his place…"

* * *

_Unalaq: I know this was a hard decision, Korra, but it was the right one. Now it is time to put it behind you and begin your new training. I have great plans for you._

* * *

"Yeah, I don't care who you are, but a line like that does _not_ come from someone who's on your side," Keldeo explained. "In addition to the stuff you listed, Ryu, my problem with Unalaq is how obvious he is. Seriously, Sonic SatAM's Dr. Robotnik might be the only villain who's more obvious."

"In fact, a lot of people's problem with him is that they think he's a boring, phoned-in villain," Ryu added. "Personally, I disagree, seeing as his actions had permanent effects on the world. But even a clip show in Book 4 seemed to agree with that perception. I will admit, he could've been better developed, and Amon was a better villain overall. Not to mention the villains of future books would be even better. Even in this book he was overshadowed by the figure that's basically the Avatar world's ultimate enemy: Vaatu."

"Oh, Vaatu was certainly a piece of work. Speaking of whom, can we talk about the best part of this book?"

"You mean the story of Avatar Wan?"

"Definitely. Those episodes were amazing! Although I did have some problems with it at first, until you explained your theories. At first, my biggest problem was that it appeared the origin of bending was just lion-turtles giving the power of the elements to people, even though 'Avatar- the Last Airbender' had mentioned where the bending of elements came from; dragons being the original firebenders, for instance."

"Yeah, but as I told you, gaining an ability doesn't mean automatic mastery of it. Wan was even seen training alongside a dragon. Basically, I think the lion-turtles gave humans the ability to bend the elements, and then mastered the ability over time, and possibly under the tutelage of what the originators of each element is: the moon for waterbenders (don't ask), badger-moles for earthbenders, dragons for firebenders, and sky bisons for airbenders. Granted, a lot of Wan's training with those other elements was off-screen, but it paid off. In the end, he defeated Vaatu and brought peace to the worlds for the next 10,000 years."

"But then the physical and spirit worlds had to be split. But anyway, those episodes have to be seen to be believed. If anybody's seeing the memory of me saying this, go watch those episodes now! They're awesome!"

"To those seeing this, he likes them because they told a complete story in just two episodes and wonderfully depicted the origin of the Avatar Cycle. Plus, he'd wanted a likable protagonist after some of Korra's most questionable acts in this season."

"Oh, you had to bring _that_ up," Keldeo said disdainfully. "But yeah, Korra was downright terrible in the first half of this season. Discharging Tenzin as her teacher, sending her father away from her mission to open the Southern Spirit Portal, escalating a civil war (which, granted, Unalaq started), trying to start an actual was with the North over it, and then kicking Mako's desk over. Seriously, Mako had every right to break up with Korra!"

"But then, she witnessed the life of Avatar Wan, and everything turned around," Ryu defended. "I think this was the point her character development started, and would end up staying this time."

"Honestly, there's no reason her development in Book 1 should've disappeared. Still, I'm pleased to hear that. And how much better is Book 3?"

"Well, we'll see soon enough."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if this entry seems like a letdown, but it's in the next book that the world's changes start really mattering, so I'll discuss them then. Plus, the two-parter about Avatar Wan truly is epic. It should be seen. I can't do it justice.**

* * *

_Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. "The Legend of Korra" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. "Littlest Pet Shop" belongs to Hasbro, DHX Media, and Discovery Channel (formerly The Hub). Episode transcripts came from the Avatar Wiki, with some changes made by me.  
_


	22. February 21, 2015 - Korra Month Part 4

February 21, 2015 - Korra Month Part 4 – Book 3

* * *

"You know, Ryu, you ended the last discussion very quickly," Keldeo noted.

"Yeah, I know," Ryusei responded in acceptance. "But then, Book 2 is generally regarded as the weakest entry in the series."

"So you think that's an excuse?"

"No, but I figured it would be easier to talk about it in tandem with Book 3, since it's that book where we start seeing how the world changed as a result of the events of Book 2. Why do you think Book 3 is called 'Change?' So, let's do the thing."

* * *

"Now then, before we discuss Book 3, let's spoil the rest of Book 2 first," Ryu said gleefully. He then took a deep breath.

"The rest of the events of Book 2 – Spirits are as follows: Unalaq starts a Water Tribe Civil War, Korra escalates it, tries to get Republic City's help in this matter, but is refused, goes to the Fire Nation to try to ask help from there but gets attacked and corrupted by a dark spirit, she gets taken to a temple to get cleansed (which is where she sees the story of Avatar Wan), makes up with Tenzin, goes into the Spirit World to try to close the Southern Portal, but then Unalaq abducts Jinora (who served as Korra's spirit guide) and uses her as a hostage to get Korra to open the Northern Spirit Portal, Harmonic Convergence arrives, Unalaq becomes a Dark Avatar by fusing with Vaatu the same way Wan fused with Raava all those years ago with the power of Harmonic Convergence, Vaatu tears Raava out of Korra and then Unalaq murders Raava, which also obliterates the past Avatars, becomes a giant Dark Spirit, Korra pursues, and defeats VaatUnalaq with help from Jinora, and then re-fuses with Raava to become the Avatar once again just as Harmonic Convergence ends. And then she decides to keep the Spirit Portals open, believing that maybe Unalaq had a point about how there should be no bridge between the two worlds. So now, Korra's job as the Avatar no longer involves being a bridge between the two worlds, but she's still needed to keep peace."

"Ryu, did you just steal my act?" Zorua asked.

"No more than you steal Chester A. Bum's," Ryu retorted. "By that, I mean the answer is 'yes I did.' Now then, on to Book 3."

* * *

"Harmonic Convergence has had many effects on the world," Ryu began. "The time where the two Spirit Portals' energy combines, and the time where either Raava and Vaatu make their winning move in the eternal struggle for the fate of the world. If Raava wins (as she has for every Harmonic Convergence except for the most recent one), then the next 10,000 years will be a peaceful era. If Vaatu wins (as he almost did with Unalaq's help), then the next 10,000 years will be chaotic and unlivable. As we saw, that was almost the fate of the world when Raava was killed by Unalaq."

"Actually, I have a question about that," Zorua said. "Yeah, Korra did kill UnaVaatu with some help from Jinora. But since Unalaq was a Dark Avatar, won't he be reincarnated?"

"No, he won't," Ryu answered. "See, while he was in that giant spirit kaiju form, he basically was in the dark equivalent of the Avatar State. And you know what happens if an Avatar dies while in the Avatar State."

"The Dark Avatar Cycle ended before it could even properly begin," Keldeo concluded. "Victim of the very fate he inflicted on all of the Avatars that came before Korra. Good riddance."

"So, as Korra ended up turning the tides back in Raava's favor, as well as resurrecting her by releasing her reborn form from VaatUnalaq, the next 10,000 years are going to be free of spiritual chaos. However, besides spirits and humans being able to intermingle as a result of the portals being left open, as well as the freedom for both worlds' denizens to travel to the other, what else changed? Well, let's look at the first scene of Book 3's premiere."

* * *

_[The scene begins with an aerial shot of Air Temple Island. Cut to a cliffside, where Bum-Ju flies away to the tree in the background.]_

_Bumi: __[Running toward Bum-Ju.] Come back, Bum-Ju! [Crawls onto the tree branch and pulls out a small pink sweater.] If you don't want to wear the sweater I made you, that's fine. I'm sorry I got mad! [Crawls toward the end of the branch, and fails to catch Bum-Ju.] Bum-Ju, I'm running out of tree. Can we go down now? [The branch topples over Bumi's weight and breaks.] Ahhh! [Hanging for dear life.] Bum-Ju, a little help!_

_[Bumi soon loses his grip. Bum-Ju grabs him by biting his jacket, but only manages to pull the jacket off Bumi. As Bumi plunges, he waves his hands, bracing for impact. Moments before the impact, Bumi airbends, stopping his fall.]_

_Bumi: __Look, I'm airbending! [Suddenly stops bending, causing him to drop onto the ground with a thud.] Ah! Ow, that still hurt a lot._

* * *

The three critics were awestruck at this. Keldeo's awe then turned to anger.

"Yeah, because Harmonic Convergence wasn't _already_ a giant Deus Ex Machina!" he shouted. "First it lets Jinora rescue Korra during Book 2's climax with unexplained light power that not even the writers could clear up, but now this?! Suddenly Bumi, Tenzin's non-bender brother, gains the ability to airbend?! That's gotta be even more convenient than Pelame's Alpha Power popping up randomly in 'The Dark Blessing!'"

"Well, Keldeo, you probably wouldn't like to know that Bumi isn't the only one to gain airbending from the residual energy of Harmonic Convergence," Ryu responded. "And in fact, not all of them are even good people. One man in particular who shouldn't have any kind of power lest the world be in terrible danger, gets airbending. Cue the end of the premiere episode."

* * *

_[Cut to a mountainous region. A retractable bridge extends. Several White Lotus sentries walk to the building, and the bridge retracts while they take fighting stances. A sentry walks forward and metalbends the octagonal door open, revealing an octagonal prison cell with an inmate seated in calm composure.]_

_White Lotus Guard: __You know the drill, Zaheer._

_Zaheer: Of course. [Turns to face the wall, with his hands behind his head.]_

_Guard: Hope you still like rice._

_Zaheer: Have you ever read the poetry of the great airbending guru, Laghima?_

* * *

"Laghima?" Zorua asked. "Ryu, didn't you nickname your Mega Rayquaza that name in your Alpha Sapphire?"

"Of course, and this is where I got that name from," Ryu answered. "Anyway…"

* * *

_Zaheer: Guru Laghima lived four thousand years ago in the Northern Air Temple. It is said that he unlocked the secret of weightlessness and became untethered from the earth, living his final forty years without ever touching the ground._

_Guard: [Mockingly.] Is that how you plan to escape? With something you picked up from an old airbender children's story?_

_Zaheer: Like all great children's tales, it contains truth within the myth. Laghima once wrote: "Instinct is a lie, told by a fearful body, hoping to be wrong."_

_Guard: What's that supposed to mean?_

_Zaheer: It means that when you base your expectations only on what you see, [Puts his hands down.] you blind yourself to the possibilities of a new reality._

_[Zaheer suddenly airbends, slamming the sentry against the prison bars. He runs forward, and turns the sentry's body, grabbing him by the neck. The remaining sentries prepare to attack, but withhold themselves.]_

_Zaheer: __Uh, uh, uh. You wouldn't want to singe your friend, would you?_

_Guard: [In disbelief.] How? You're not a ... bender._

_Zaheer: Nature is constantly changing. Like the wind._

_[Zaheer pulls the keys off from the sentry. On unlocking the door, he airbends, slamming his hostage against the wall. He slides out of his cell, narrowly avoiding a sentry's firebending attack, before airbending the sentries off their feet. He leaps up and grabs the firebender, throwing him into the cell. Zaheer avoids an earthbending attack and leaps off a bent earth wall, before climbing up the wall with airbending. Perched, he avoids a fire blast and leaps behind the firebender, before throwing him to the cell with airbending. He runs up a wall, avoiding the attacks from the remaining two sentries. He airbends them off their feet, before airbending them into the cell. He quickly locks the cell.]_

_Zaheer: __Now you might want to ration that bowl of rice. You've got three weeks until the next shift change. It's the dawning of a new age. The end of the White Lotus, and soon, the end of the Avatar._

_[Zaheer walks toward the edge of the cliff. He leaps down the cliff, using airbending to cushion his fall from ledge to ledge.]_

* * *

"Well, at least they didn't try to hide his identity as a villain like with Unalaq last book," Keldeo said. "Plus, he must have taken prison escape lessons from Tai Lung. I gotta wonder what his beef with Korra is, though."

"Looks like you've calmed down from your earlier rage," Ryu chided.

"Not really. I still think it's a lot to take in that airbending was just suddenly given to random people. And it evidently doesn't judge who it gives it to, since a very dangerous-looking guy like Zaheer has it. Still, I'll give the rest of the season a watch. Maybe I'll come to accept this turn of events."

"Good choice, Keldeo. Fan consensus is that this was the season where the show got its groove. Personally, I think 'The Legend of Korra' was always an excellent show, but I'll agree with the fandom in that this was where it caught up to 'Avatar – the Last Airbender.' After all, the people who quit on Book 2 really missed out."

"Just like how a certain ferret I know missed out on a great fourth season of—"

"Keldeo, don't get Ryu started, please," Zorua requested.

"It's fine, Zorua," Ryu said. "To be fair, I totally walked into that one."

"Yep, and at least I got my point across," Keldeo said proudly. "Seriously, Ryu, you quit too soon."

"I don't believe so, just like how the people who gave up on this show gave up after Book 2. Shows just lose people for any number of reasons. For now, let's focus on the show and see how it kept me and many others."

* * *

"First off, Korra herself," Ryu began. "This book marks the point where she finally starts maturing and becoming a wise Avatar. As she's the beginning of a new chain of Avatars, she'll have to be a role model to whoever comes next. Sure, she still has her impatient moments, especially in regards to the Earth Queen."

"Well, the Earth Queen deserves no respect," Keldeo responded. "She's a tyrant, through and through."

"Yeah!" Zorua agreed. "Whatever she wanted with the new Airbenders, it couldn't have been good. Also, I liked Bosco the bear back when we saw 'Avatar – the Last Airbender!' I hope the rumor about her eating Bosco wasn't true; he was her father's pet! It would be like if Ash had a child who ate his Pikachu!"

"And yet," Ryu continued. "Korra still had it in her to not want harm to come to the Queen, despite all the wrongdoing. After all, this season's true enemies were after world leaders."

"Oh, thanks for mentioning that," Keldeo said. "You know, after the last season's lackluster-but-foul villain, it was refreshing to see villains that had more character to them."

"We may not have gotten to know them as thoroughly as the last show's nemeses, but we still got ourselves some interesting characters. Not to mention the threat they posed. And their skills—"

"Their bending skills were very formidable. We're talking about a brutal airbender, an earthbender who can bend lava, a firebender who can create explosions with her mind, and an armless waterbender who can make water arms to wreak havoc with."

"And for a while, you'd almost sympathize with their goal. After all, Zaheer's citing of the Earth Queen's tyranny and Republic City's President Raiko's unwise decisions (not the least of which was his finger-pointing at Korra for the Spirit vine problem in the city since, even though the vines were placed there by UnaVaatu during Book 2's climax) were spot-on. Still, it was just crazy enough that we didn't want them to achieve their goal."

"And now that we're on that topic, can we talk about something that upset me and Zorua?"

"Sure."

"Well, it has to do with when Zaheer and his group go to Ba Sing Se to try to bait Korra to them by working out a deal with the Earth Queen. That's bad enough, but when the deal falls through by virtue of Korra and Asami escaping from the Earth Queen's soldiers in the desert, this happens soon after the four (which, by the way, are part of the Order of the Red Lotus)…"

* * *

_Earth Queen Hou-Ting: You wouldn't dare attack a queen!_

_Zaheer: [Leaps to the throne.] Maybe I forgot to mention something to you. I don't believe in queens. [Pulls air out of Hou-Ting's lungs and traps her head in a vacuum sphere, leaving her gasping and collapsed onto the floor.] You think freedom is something that you can give or take on a whim ... [Close-up of Hou-Ting with bloodshot eyes.] To your people ... freedom is just as essential as ... air. And without it ... there is no life. [Stops bending.] There is only ... darkness._

* * *

"So, explain to me how this was upsetting to you," Ryu said.

"It was really unnecessarily violent and grisly, that's why!" Keldeo answered. "It was bad enough when there was the mere implication by fans that airbenders could do that!"

"Well, fair enough," Ryu conceded. "I guess that could be why this episode didn't air on TV. In fact, the last five episodes of this book aired online only, until Nickelodeon just spontaneously decided to air them on TV a few months later."

"Well, I can't blame them for that."

"Me neither, despite my harsh feelings on the network when it first happened. And by the way, this is a necessary tangent. I don't know the exact reason why the rest of 'The Legend of Korra' got yanked off of TV and aired online, but content such as the high-profile political assassination we just saw is a popular theory. Still, I must say that fans really overreacted. Keep in mind, I'm not at all in agreement with Nickelodeon's decision, but I'm not so in _dis_agreement with it that I'd be driven to do something stupid like write a 'Legend of Korra' story where Korra takes on a villain that's very obviously modeled after Nickelodeon executives. Of course, I wasn't above ranting about it on one of my other online haunts, but that was for venting out some frustration, and I do regret acting so childishly."

Ryu then turned to face a certain direction that would be straight into the eyes of anyone watching a memory of this speech.

"I know it's no fun when something you like is treated so shoddily. Believe me, I can sympathize with you for that. Even Bronies were worthy of my sympathy when they lost Button Mash, among many other pony projects. However, what I cannot approve of is when fans cling to what's lost so tightly that they're driven to do something underhanded. Like, what if someone actually did something like that example I just listed? People, I know you can be better than that. Bottom line: be mad at the company if you want, but don't make them suffer for your wrath."

Ryu then resumed his normal spot.

"Ryu, how can you be so wise, yet so stupid?" Keldeo asked.

"I wonder about that myself," Ryu answered, not able to think of anything better to say. "Now then, where'd we leave off?"

"Well, we just got done with the Earth Queen's death," Zorua reminded. "Why was that episode even titled 'Long Live the Queen,' anyway? She died in that episode!"

"Sarcasm," Ryu answered. "The same sarcasm that lined a certain other infamous cold-blooded murder from family media. But anyway, things got even grimmer from there. 'The Ultimatum,' the very next episode, was one of the biggest downers I'd ever seen on TV."

"But until that downer actually happened, we at least got to see a proper airbender duel," Keldeo added in excitement. "By the way, that was an awesome battle. Tenzin was winning against Zaheer up until Combustion Woman and the other Red Lotus members ganged up on him. Cheapskates!"

"Oh, and then Bolin learning to lavabend in the next episode, 'Enter the Void,' was a great moment, too!" Zorua added. "But too bad that happened around the same time Zaheer gained the ability to fly."

"That was a rather believable twist in airbending culture, by the way," Keldeo said. "After all, they're peaceful people, so it would make sense that they have the potential to achieve enlightenment. Of course, I must admit it's kinda strange that Zaheer was only the second airbender to achieve that and gain the ability to fly unassisted, let alone that he could even achieve enlightenment. I mean, was Combustion Woman really the only thing that mattered to him? Couldn't he have had anyone or anything else after losing her (and by the way, Combustion Woman's death by head explosion, although it was mostly offscreen, was also a bit too much)?"

"Maybe not," Ryu explained. "Maybe his views on chaos being the natural order weren't a desire. Maybe he actually believed that was the case."

"Well, anyway, it led to one great finale that we don't dare spoil. And what a way to celebrate the Avatar franchise's 100th episode!"

"Well, when we get to Book 4, we'll have to at least spoil the final scene," Ryu confessed. "But all in all, Book 3 was a great adventure. I liked its action, how it made Korra move forward in her maturity and wisdom, the stakes being raised even more, and its ending made me cry along with Korra."

"Well, Ryu, I agree with you, though I still didn't like how violent the last few episodes were."

"Oh, I had a hard time stomaching those scenes, too, Keldeo. But it didn't ruin the season for me."

"Me neither."

"So now, we have only one more book left. So tree, do—"

"Wait, Ryu, I have a question," Zorua asked. "Can you tell me what was up with this scene where Korra's dad Tonraq is being tended to by the Zaofu Guard Captain?"

* * *

_Tonraq: I owe you my life. Thank you, Captain._

_Captain: You can call me Kuvira._

* * *

"Yeah, that was a really odd scene," Keldeo said. "Is that Kuvira guy important?"

"First of all, Kuvira's a woman," Ryu answered. "Second of all…"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but we're almost done with Korra Month. Just one more Book, and boy did the show save the best for last. **

**By the way, February 21 is the day the first two episodes of "Avatar – the Last Airbender" premiered, and it's been ten years since then. So, in honor of that, when reviewing this entry, would you like to include any thoughts on the show itself (favorite character, favorite moment, favorite episode, etc.)?**

**One more thing: see if you can guess that "certain other infamous cold-blooded murder from family media," huh?**

* * *

_Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. "The Legend of Korra" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. "Littlest Pet Shop" belongs to Hasbro, DHX Media, and Discovery Channel (formerly The Hub). Episode transcripts came from the Avatar Wiki, with some changes made by me._


	23. March 3, 2015 - Korra Month Part 5 (Last

March 3, 2015 - Korra Month Part 5 – Book 4

* * *

**Last time on Korra Month…**

* * *

_Tonraq: I owe you my life. Thank you, Captain._

_Captain: You can call me Kuvira._

* * *

"Yeah, that was a really odd scene," Keldeo said. "Is that Kuvira guy important?"

"First of all, Kuvira's a woman," Ryu answered. "Second of all…"

* * *

**Currently...**

* * *

"First off, Penny Ling _really_ hates Kuvira," Ryusei said. "That's why the pets aren't here this time. The mere sight of Kuvira was enough to send her into a supreme rage which I had to knock her out in order to get her to stop. The other pets are tending to that concussion I ended up giving her. That also explains why this entry is late. I delayed the ending of 'Korra Month' to help a friend out."

"Good on you for that, Ryu," Keldeo said. "Still, you shouldn't have swung that branch so hard in the first place."

"Yeah. Of course, I can't blame her for her harsh feelings about Kuvira."

"Well, after we saw this season," Zorua said. "I understand why that is. Kuvira's evil."

"To think she had such humble origins, too," Keldeo added. "From the Captain of the Metal Clan city Zaofu's guards to becoming the Earth Emperor. You were right, Ryu. This was an amazing season. Not to mention one of the darkest."

"Even though only one person unambiguously died this season, as opposed to last season's four," Ryu clarified. "Still, this season's dark in tone and setting rather than content. Plus, this whole book wouldn't have even happened if the Earth Queen was still alive. Which is why I think this was one of the best lines ever from this show."

* * *

_Korra: Whatever. _Before,_ you were always talking about chaos and freedom. Then you took out the Earth Queen and created the worst dictator the Earth Kingdom has ever seen. _Thanks_ for that!_

* * *

"Because she's 100% correct!" Ryu continued. "Kuvira wouldn't have come into power if the Earth Queen was still alive because there wouldn't have been a situation for her to quell. And therefore, no chance to prove her worth to the other nations, and then no chance to create an empire of her own. She was literally in a perfect position: it's not that she can't be stopped, it's that she _shouldn't_. Because if she is, the Earth Kingdom descends back into chaos. Not only that, but it looked like she really was doing good for the Earth Kingdom. In fact, that's why Bolin was working for her for a while. Her insanity wasn't clear until this scene at Earth Prince Wu's coronation, a scene, which, by the way, is terrifying…"

* * *

_Kuvira: [Now addressing the crowd through the microphone.] Growing up in Zaofu, with Suyin Beifong, [Shot shows Suyin, sporting a distrustful look.] I learned that the idea of a royal family passing a title from one generation to the next was archaic, and that technology and innovation should be what drives a nation forward. It was the pathetic rule of kings and queens that caused the Earth Kingdom to descend into such incredible disarray. It's taken me three years to get it back on track, and there is no way I will allow it to slip back into the dark ages. [Shot shows Tenzin and Raiko giving each other a worried look.] I'd like to make an announcement to the world: the Earth Kingdom is no more. And from here on out, [Gestures to Wu.] this man has no authority. [Crowd gasps in surprise.]_

_Wu: Wait, what? But I just got the royal brooch!_

_Kuvira: [Turns to the crowd again.] I have created a new Earth _Empire_, and I will continue to lead it into the future myself, bringing about a new era of prosperity for _my_ people._

_Crowd: [Cheers and applauds.] We love you, Kuvira! [Shot shows Bolin, with a worried look on his face, as he applauds halfheartedly.] All hail the Great Uniter!_

_Kuvira: And let me assure my fellow leaders of one thing: [Grabs the medal Wu hung around her neck and pulls it off, breaking the ribbon before letting it hover over her hand.] Anyone who crosses our borders or stands in our way, will be _crushed._ [Crushes the Kyoshi Medal of Freedom and drops it on the floor.]_

_[Cheering again, the flashbulbs of cameras in the crowd casting erratic shadows on the stage.] Thank you, Kuvira! All hail the Great Uniter!_

_Wu: [Sighs.] Worst coronation ever._

* * *

"Yeah, I'm with Prince Wu on that one," Keldeo said. "It's rough to have your country swiped from under you."

"What makes that scene so scary is that, among other things, she has supporters who approve of this," Ryu continued. "And like I said before, she shouldn't be stopped. It's literally as though the only time to stop her is when it's too late. And that's when she conquers Zaofu and makes plans to conquer Republic City."

"And with Korra having been in physical rehab after that mercury poisoning last season finale, Kuvira had no competition in stabilizing the Earth Kingdom," Zorua added.

"And there was that, too," Ryu responded. "As soon as Korra returns, it's just in time to see Zaofu get conquered. However, it's reassuring to know that there is hope after all. Even if Kuvira shouldn't be stopped until it's too late. Even though it's slim, there's still a chance for peace to prevail."

* * *

"So, as for why this is my favorite of the four books," Ryu said. "Well, its somber tone, which meant that uplifting scenes like Korra's recovery from the traumatizing events of book three's finale really hit home. I'm sure you both remember how my eyes reacted to the ending of 'Beyond the Wilds', which is my second favorite episode of this franchise. Plus, the cooperation of all the leads in the finale was excellently done. All in all, this season was amazing. I'd even go so far as to say it caught up to book three of 'Avatar – the Last Airbender.'"

"Well, Ryu, I may not say it was _that_ good," Keldeo responded. "I still like 'Avatar' better, but this was a great series, too. I enjoyed doing 'Korra Month' with you."

"Me too!" Zorua added. "And it was nice meeting your Day Camp friends! I just wish we gave them more chances to add something to all this. I'd like to collaborate with you again sometime."

"Me too."

"Then, until next time," Ryu said as he Canonbended a portal open for the two to return home.

* * *

**A/N: If any part of Korra Month seemed to be lacking, it was out of a desire to spoil as little as possible about the show. Still, this was fun to do. Next entry will be "Over the Garden Wall," by request from Matthais Unidostres.**

* * *

_Keldeo the Critic and Zorua the young reviewer belong to Matthais Unidostres. "The Legend of Korra" belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. "Littlest Pet Shop" belongs to Hasbro, DHX Media, and Discovery Channel (formerly The Hub). Episode transcripts came from the Avatar Wiki, with some changes made by me._


	24. March 14, 2015 - List for Filler

March 14, 2015 – A Bit of Filler

* * *

Despite being a ferret, I have a busy life that involves watching TV shows, goofing off at the Littlest Pet Shop Day Camp, visiting other worlds via Canonbending, or playing video games (per the studies in the lab I live in). Oh, there's more, but these are what take up most of my time. And on the topic of video games, Square Enix finally (after more than a decade, mind you) saw fit to release the Final Mix versions of _Kingdom Hearts_, _Kingdom Hearts II_, and _Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep_ in non-Japanese territories. Which means I, a resident of North America, finally have a way to play them without importing a Japanese copy and installing an English patch. I'll release my full thoughts on each of them later, as I am currently playing _Birth by Sleep Final Mix._

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with _Kingdom Hearts_, it's a video game series that one of _the_ most random crossover ideas I have ever heard. Seriously, Disney and Final Fantasy crossing over is something only fanfiction writers could be crazy enough to conceive (no offense). In my opinion, it worked. All the games (except for _Kingdom Hearts Re:coded,_ which was a DS remake of the Japanese cellphone game _Kingdom Hearts:coded_. Seriously, that game is absolutely terrible) have incredible gameplay mechanics. Not to mention Sora is one of the greatest video game heroes I've ever played as. And up until _Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance_ pulled its gigantic retcon act, I even liked the story. Of course, as it is now, I enjoy the gameplay more than the story now.

The focus of this particular entry is the one aspect Square Enix games consistently gets right: the music. No matter how counter intuitive character leveling gets (Sphere Grid, Magic Junctioning, etc.) or how convoluted and self-contradictory the stories become (the _Final Fantasy XIII_ trilogy, _Kingdom Hearts_, etc.), it seems music is the area that never went wrong. And so, here are my top 24 tracks from the _Kingdom Hearts_ series.

* * *

**24\. Squirming Evil (Kingdom Hearts)**

Yeah, I'm starting this list on a simple note. Compared to most other boss themes from this series, this one really is simplistic. Despite that, it gets its job of conveying a battle well. And as it plays for just about every Disney villain battle (Cerberus, Clayton, Jafar (human form), Ursula (regular form), Oogie Boogie (regular form), Captain Hook, Hades, and Maleficent (fairy form)), you could get used to it.

**23\. Traverse Town (Kingdom Hearts)**

As far as field themes go, this has a homely feel to it. It makes sense, being as Traverse Town is basically a world for refugees of destroyed worlds to stay at, which is why it's the hub level of the first _Kingdom Hearts_ game.

**22\. Desire for All That Is Lost (Kingdom Hearts II)**

If you'll permit me a brief snide geek-out moment: the piano riff from 0:47 to 1:06 of this track totally blows Cynthia's introduction theme out of the water!  
Yeah, okay, I won't go so far as to put it that severely, even though I do think it's better. But anyway, yay for another somewhat simple boss theme. Unlike "Squirming Evil", this one has no one type of boss it plays for: it pops up in some of the Disney-related boss battles (such as the Hydra from Disney's _Hercules_; by the way, that battle is so much fun to do), and also for some of the Heartless bosses. None of the bosses this theme plays for are too hard, so its simplicity is justified.

**21\. Vim and Vigor (Kingdom Hearts II)**

Another boss theme. This one is for the first few Disney villain bosses (Shan-Yu, Cerberus, Captain Barbossa), and also during the first part of the Heartless War in the midgame (in my opinion, that latter portion was where this track was best used). This is a very "action" theme, but I don't think you'd need me to tell you that if you've heard it, or are listening to it now.

**20\. Winnie the Pooh (Kingdom Hearts II)**

When it comes to this series, I'm in the very small camp that actually enjoyed the Hundred Acre Wood. I don't care that it's just a minigame world with no plot importance. I don't even care that visiting there is mandatory in _Kingdom Hearts II_ if you want Sora's best weapon, or the final upgrade to the Cure spell. It could be because I'm also a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh (to the point that _The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh_ had been my favorite TV show ever until I saw _Avatar – the Last Airbender_), but I think it's because I needed a break from the action. And since I recently played the game on Critical Mode, the break was all the more refreshing. And this theme, an instrumental remix of the original _Winnie the Pooh_ opening song from _Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree_, really does capture that laid-back feeling.

**19\. Sweet Spirits (Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance)**

I remember my first thought about Pokemon-amie was "cool, a Pokemon version of the Dream Eater playtime feature." Honestly, playing with your partner Dream Eaters in this game was almost totally identical to Pokemon-amie. This goes with that break-time thing I was talking about in the earlier item on the list, but I think it applies even better here. For one thing, it's an absolutely adorable theme. But also, _Dream Drop Distance_ is likely the hardest game in the series thus far, so I enjoy my breaks from the action, especially when Critical Mode stacks the odds against you (no joke, Critical Mode is out to get you).

**18\. Dream Eaters (Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance)**

Remember what I just said about playing with partner Dream Eaters was a lot like Pokemon-amie? To drive that point even further home, there are even minigames in that mode. And remember what I said about the earlier track being adorable? This track just blew it out of the water.

**17\. Le Sanctuaire (Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance)**

I'll just get this out of the way now: yes, this game oversimplified Disney's _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ to an annoying extent. And yes, the game did cheat me out of my desire to fight Frollo (my most hated Disney villain ever, until this series introduced Xehanort). But as I said in the preface of this entry, music is the one thing that goes consistently right in Square Enix games. And as far as enemy battle themes go, this one is epic. In fact, I think it should have been a boss theme.

**16\. The Deep End (Kingdom Hearts)**

This can be thought of as the partner to "Squirming Evil", since it plays for a few of the Disney villains' second forms (giant Ursula, dragon Maleficent, but strangely enough not genie Jafar?) as well as one of the secret Heartless bosses, and also Ansem's first form at the endgame. It sure seems to have a powerful vibe to it, which makes sense especially in giant Ursula's case, since she's the first boss in the game who's difficult to the point of being able to kill even an expert player. Same goes for dragon Maleficent. The point being that this theme exudes power.

**15\. The Encounter (Kingdom Hearts II)**

Of the Disney villain boss battle themes of the series, this one's my favorite. It's an action track much like "Vim and Vigor", but a bit more so. Except for genie Jafar, all of the Disney villains this plays for (Oogie Boogie, Scar, Hades, genie Jafar, Master Control Program) are some rather intense battles. I think the fight against Scar used this theme best. All in all, this is a track that exudes action and intensity.

**14\. Forze del Male (Kingdom Hearts)**

Goodness, is this a creepy theme. Only two bosses in the entire game use this theme (Ansem-Riku, Ansem's second form; coincidentally, both are opponents Sora fights alone), and they're both rather climactic fights, the former more so than the latter (since the latter has one more phase after it). And since they both have to do with the game's main villain (the first of these two battles basically being his introduction), it makes sense that this theme sounds so sinister. In fact, the track's name is Italian for "Force of Evil." Also, as a meaningless side note, I though Darkrai (of the _Explorers_ games) deserved a theme like this one. But I digress.

**13\. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep)**

Seriously, just guess which Disney movie inspired the world this is the field theme for. Go ahead and do it. It's a no-brainer.  
But seriously, though, this is my favorite of the Disney field themes that are instrumental remixes of a song from the source film. Just like the original song itself, this has a jolly and magical feel to it.  
But really, who wouldn't know the answer to that question?

**12\. Castle Oblivion (Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories)**

I'm going with the PS2 remake for this one. Sure, the original GBA version of this track was also suitably ominous to fit the game's final level, but the PS2 remake's version made it even more so. The castle's final floor sure is a strange place, and its lord is waiting for you.

**11\. The 13th Struggle (Kingdom Hearts II)**

Another kinda-simple theme, but this is certainly an energetic theme. The members of Organization XIII are no slouches in battle, and I think this theme exemplifies that. Though not as well as…

**10\. The 13th Dilemma (Kingdom Hearts II)**

I'll be honest about this one: I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love how awesome it sounds, and how it conveys that you're fighting an elite enemy. But I hate it because everyone this theme plays for (Demyx, Xaldin, Xigbar, Saïx) are all the game's hardest bosses (except Saïx), to the point where all of them (again, except Saïx) have killed me at least once in all the times I've played this game (seriously, look up gameplay of these bosses on Youtube and see what a tough time each of them gives the player, especially Xaldin and Xigbar).

**9\. Sacred Moon (Kingdom Hearts II)**

My favorite of the field themes, and also my favorite final level theme in all of video games, and it's also my favorite final level in all of video games. Really, The World That Never Was (by the way, that is a great name for a final level) is basically the perfect final level. This is a final level theme in many senses of the term. It really does sound like a final destination where a climactic battle for all is going to be fought.

**8\. Deep Drive (Kingdom Hearts II)**

And along with a great field theme goes a great encounter theme to partner with it.

**7\. Vector to the Heavens (Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days)**

I've heard tell that the Primal Dialga battle theme is a tragically conclusive battle theme. And it is, but I think this one is even more so. And it's certainly no small feat to top the Primal Dialga theme. The situation certainly helps its case; as Roxas, you're fighting Xion, a new Organization member you'd become best friends with. Said member found out the truth about herself and seeks to end her existence, which she does by initiating this battle. It's literally a hero vs. partner battle, making the tragedy of this whole situation hit home.

**6\. Rage Awakened (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix)**

There are no words in any language that can properly tell how diabolically hard the Lingering Will is. I'd say that the _Kingdom Hearts_ series now officially has an answer to Ozma in terms of sadistically hard secret superbosses. And this is certainly a great theme to convey that difficulty, as well as the tragedy of this character considering its origin story.

**5\. The Other Promise (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix)**

Just stop reading this entry now, go look this track up on Youtube, listen to it, and try to guess where this plays.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

If you guessed anything other than the boss fight against Roxas, you're wrong. And yes, I was floored when I found out this calming and somber track was for a boss battle, and a hard one at that.

**4\. Dismiss (Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep)**

This may not be as tragic-sounding as "Vector to the Heavens", but the battle it plays over is a much more heart-murdering situation. I don't dare spoil anything about it. It must be seen or played to be believed.

* * *

This list sure is long, huh? Well, there's only three entries left.

**3\. Darkness of the Unknown (Kingdom Hearts II)**

_Kingdom Hearts II_ basically has a perfect endgame: final level full of tough bosses that constitute the big bad's last defense topped off by a series of epic battles against said big bad? Check and mate. Xemnas is my favorite final boss ever, in case that wasn't clear. And once again, the music conveys its feeling of finality.

**2\. Lord of the Castle (Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories)**

True, Marluxia isn't as big a threat as Xemnas in the long run, and his final battle isn't even nearly as epic as Xemnas's. But his final battle theme alone trump Xemnas's themes due to its intensity and urgency.

And here's my favorite Kingdom Hearts theme ever now…

**1\. March Caprice (Kingdom Hearts)**

Yes, the credits theme of the first game is my favorite theme in the series. Victory is the tone of this theme. Not only does the general difficulty of the first game make you feel like you've totally won once you finish it all, but this music drives it home that the world will have a tomorrow thanks to you.

* * *

And that is my list of my favorite _Kingdom Hearts_ tracks. Now that my break is over, I must get back to watching _Over the Garden Wall_.

* * *

_Kingdom Hearts is property of Square Enix and Disney.  
_


	25. Important Fic Announcement

**A/N: Yes, I know I also posted this in "Hope and Faith saga Extras." I decided to post it here, too, since it would be more visible here than there.**

**This will likely be the final announcement I make regarding my new story. What I said before still stands (the keeping of good and bad OCs alike, Alpha and Demon-types, the Alpha Continent, the Dark Blessing, and Mortite), although I will amend the first of those by saying a few of them are cut out (not saying who yet). Also, at this point in the brainstorming, it's become drastically different from my original three stories. Therefore, I'm no longer calling it a rewrite of the Hope and Faith saga. It will have a different title altogether.**

**So far, I've got lots of characters already planned out. I'm currently working on the world itself now (countries, continents, weather, politics, traditions, etc.). I've settled on the 1990s as a time period to imitate, so the following technologies will exist in this new world: television, film, video games (circa the N64, PS1, Sega Saturn era), radio, motor vehicles of many kinds, newspapers, computers, the Internet (circa 1998, where dial-up was just about the only way to connect), books, telephones, tape players, CD Players, VCRs, DVD players, various weaponry, etc.**

**And for one final part to this announcement, I unfortunately must delay my review of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends until I'm done with the first major arc of this new story (my many apologies to Imperator Justinian for that). But my review of Over the Garden Wall will come out as scheduled. After that, though, this new story will premiere.**

**Now, I'd like to involve my readers in a way. So, in reviews or PMs, would you like to suggest Pokemon that would make good University professors?**


	26. March 21, 2015 - What Did I Just Watch?

March 21, 2015 – Cartoon Network Goes Bizarre

* * *

About four months ago, I had written an entry titled "Yes, for Kids," in which I spoke of entertainment aimed at family and child demographics taking chances on what they could do. Matthais Unidostres's response to it mentioned a series called _Over the Garden Wall_, suggesting I review it. And so, I finally found the time to watch it and write this entry on it.

* * *

I'll begin with the obligatory question I'm sure anyone had upon watching this: what did I just watch?

That's a natural query. Coincidentally, I had the same question about _Adventure Time_, which, in addition to this and _The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack_ was another of Patrick McHale's projects. He seems to be a bit strange, like a sort of TV writer equivalent of Tim Burton.

Now, I'll admit that Cartoon Network is no longer the super juggernaut it once was, but there's still stuff on there to love. For me, _The Amazing World of Gumball_, and _Adventure Time_ are my top picks (and maybe one day I'll get around to starting up _Steven Universe_). And in general, I have to disagree with the cynical sentiment that there's nothing good on TV anymore.

But anyway, _Over the Garden Wall_ is one oddball of a miniseries. Despite being only ten episodes long, each being just eleven minutes in running time, it can leave an impact. Atmosphere is the general key to this show's abnormality. Gorgeous background and scenery is nice to look at, but beauty and ugliness is beyond skin deep. The main characters Wirt and Greg run into all kinds of craziness on their journey home from the Unknown. These include a village of skeletons dressed as pumpkins, a schoolhouse for animals, a tavern full of people who are defined by their jobs, two fused mansions, a possessed maid, and the Beast. Oh, those aren't all, though. I'll let you all discover those yourself.

As this is a miniseries, there aren't many characters to keep track of. I will admit it could take some tolerance to deal with Greg's "little kid" moments, especially when it means trouble. Same with any time Wirt is less than caring toward Greg. Otherwise, the two leads are fine characters to carry this series. In fact, the fact that The Woodsman is such an isolated and slightly insane figure helps make clear Wirt's growth from social awkwardness to responsibility. It doesn't help anyone's case that The Beast preys on anyone lost in the Unknown, and The Woodsman seems to be a partner to this. All in all, it's a dangerous journey that tests strength of will. Though this is a short miniseries, you could end up invested in it as heavily as if it were a feature.

I mentioned that Greg's silliness and Wirt's stubbornness can take some getting used to, but I have only one other complaint about this series. That would be when The Beast is shown. Now, I'll give credit that it goes by quickly (so much that only freeze-framers can catch it), but I liked it better when I didn't know what it looked like. I know how weird that sounds, but I really do wish they never revealed what The Beast looked like.

So I conclude this entry by recommending my readers to give it a watch, just as Matthais Unidostres recommended I do so myself.

I think I might just track down _Tome of the Unknown_, since apparently that short film inspired this show.

* * *

Over the Garden Wall _is property of Patrick McHale and Cartoon Network._

* * *

**A/N: And with this review, I'm putting _Ryu's Journal_ on a small hiatus so I can focus on my new Pokemon story. I plan to start the journal up again once I finish publishing the first major arc of my new story.  
**


	27. April 4, 2015 - A Brief Return

April 4, 2015 – A Brief Return

* * *

Spoiler alert: Toph wins!

Yes, she defeated the sand ninja. My inner Avatar fanboy is ecstatic!

However, I do have to admit this much now that I look back at it: parts of this victory were rigged. For one thing, Toph metalbending gold. That's impossible. See, Metalbending isn't exactly what it sounds like. What it is is using Earthbending to bend the small impurities within a metal to make it react. In fact, it's been established that pure metals can't be bent. Ever see how helpless a Metalbender is against platinum? So, yeah, that's a rather big strike against what was otherwise a great video.

But on the upside, it didn't feel so rigged that it was catered to a side. I admit, I don't like Naruto at all, but I didn't feel like this battle catered to me by making Toph win against Gaara. The odds weren't totally one-sided in favor of the other like the Starscream and Rainbow Dash match was (there, I said it). Although, again, I could have done without that slight rigging.

Okay, so that's my thoughts on that Death Battle. So, what now?

* * *

"Ryu, you done yet?" asked the river otter in the cage next to him. "I got the video ready."

"What video would that be?" Ryu asked his neighbor.

"The season five premiere of 'My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic,' of course!"

"Oh, no thanks," Ryu answered courteously. "I'll be fine without it."

"I think you'd like this one, actually. Its villain takes away Cutie Marks to make everyone equal!"

"…Come again?"

"I said Starlight Glimmer takes away Cutie Marks and their abilities to make everypony equal!"

"So, Amon came back from the dead as a unicorn?"

The otter uttered a fake laugh. "Very funny, Ryu. Seriously, come check it out."

"How about if you told me how it ends instead? It'd be better hearing it from you."

"Just come watch it! What's the matter?"

"What do you mean 'what's the matter?' You know I don't like that show."

"You don't? Since when?"

"Since when? What do you –" Then Ryu realized that he'd never let his lab friends know his feelings on the show. So, he came clean.

* * *

"Well, Ryu, you're sure missing out," said the neighbor otter. "But I won't make you see it if you don't want to."

"That's a good idea," Ryu answered. "I'm glad you liked it, though. And I'm not forbidding you from watching it near me. I'll just be online while you are."

"Sounds good to me." He then started up the episodes and rewatched them as Ryu browsed online. But what would end up happening was unforeseen.

* * *

Ryu hadn't seen a frame of the new episodes, but he couldn't help overhearing them as he was one cage away from where they were being watched. And he didn't at all like what he had heard. So, he came to an unlikely decision. He went into his holodeck room and activated it. Within it, he Canonbended a portal to Equestria and went through it.

* * *

Ryu managed to catch Spike in a moment of solitude, where none of the ponies were around. Before the dragon child noticed he had a visitor, he was suddenly hugged by said visitor. He then noticed who it was and pried himself away from him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded of Ryu.

"Two things." Ryu put his right fist in his left palm and bowed respectfully. "I give to you my greatest sympathy," Ryu said. He rose back up.

"Sympathy for what? Are you trying to pull something?"

"For once, not at all. You have my sympathy. You've been left behind once again from a quest of your keeper's. They left you here while they were off dealing with Amon."

"Well, I had sports to discuss with Big Mac. Besides, which Amon do you mean?"

"And that's the second thing." Ryu then showed Spike a small postcard with Starlight Glimmer on it, but Amon's mask covered her face.

"This is a joke, right?"

"Kinda. See, from what _very_ little I heard of your friends' most recent quest, their adversary was just about indistinguishable from the leader of the Equalists. Observe."

Ryu grabbed a bottle of water and poured a small drop on the unicorn's Cutie Mark, washing the equals sign away. He then pulled out another postcard that showed Amon's true face under the mask, showing a burn scar he had sustained. Pouring water on it washed the scar away.

"That is egregious," Ryu said in subdued annoyance. "Her agenda, her lie, her outlook on society— she's Amon! She's literally Amon!"

"Let me guess: you're going to throw a giant tantrum in front of me?" Spike retorted. "You know that would give me a lot of satisfaction."

"Actually, no I'm not," Ryu said, calmed. "Maybe about a year ago, I would've. I was a much more volatile ferret back then. But a small part of me is angered about this, which is why my element is fire now instead of water when I came here."

"…That makes no sense at all."

"Yeah, I agree."

"So, then why are you _really_ here?"

"Well, I got my second reason out of the way, so my first is next. Spike, I wanted to let you know, you are the only citizen of Equestria I feel something other than hatred for."

"Oh, gee, I'm _so_ flattered."

"I know what it's like for life to make a joke out of you, and it breaks my heart to remember any time that had happened to you. You're an important part of Equestria, and no one seems to know it."

"Well, Ryu, I can't say I like it when that happens to me. But I'd never, ever desert my friends over it. They're worth it as far as I'm concerned. If anything, my willingness to remain in this lifestyle ought to be something you'd admire."

"And it is. The bottom line is, I've changed my mind about you, Spike. I like you just a little bit. But most of all, I pity you, even if you don't need it."

"Come with me."

* * *

Ryu followed Spike into a tech room somewhere. He was hooked up to a lie detector test, and was asked to repeat everything he'd just said about his feelings about Spike. To the dragon's surprise, the results were clean all across the board.

"You've really grown," Spike said, impressed. Resuming his attitude, he then said, "But this doesn't change much."

"I figured as much," Ryu answered. "So, I'll let you choose a terrible movie for us to review. And you get to watch me suffer it. It's only fair."

"_Now_ you're talking! And I know just the one! The only _'Land Before Time'_ film you hate!"

He went to a shelf and pulled down a DVD of _The Land Before Time XIII – The Wisdom of Friends_.

"At long last, another one of my media nemeses," Ryu said. "Spike, let's destroy this trash."

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who saw the MLPFiM season 5 premiere today, I sincerely hope you all enjoyed it. I haven't seen it, but press surrounding it that I've heard made its villain sound very similar to Amon from ****_The Legend of Korra_****, so I couldn't resist. Besides, she's a villain, so she should be fair game. But I will apologize if that bit about her offended anyone.**

**And so, my next review will be ****_The Land Before Time XIII – The Wisdom of Friends_****.**

**And don't worry: I'm still working on my new Pokemon story.**

* * *

_My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic is property of Hasbro, DHX Media, The Hub (Discovery Family), and Lauren Faust._

_Spike the Snob is property of , and used with permission._


	28. Another Announcement

**A/N: As you might as seen, I have submitted the first chapter of my new story. It's a special gift to you all.**

**However, I will adhere to my normal schedule from now on. The rest of the story will come out in arcs. Not to mention, any reviews I still have yet to do on this Journal right here (such as the upcoming one on ****_The Land Before Time XIII - The Wisdom of Friends_****). But rest assured, I'm working on both.**

**The next review will be out as soon as I finish it. Stay tuned!**


	29. April 24, 2015 - Worst Universal Film

April 24, 2015 – The Worst Universal Film Ever

* * *

"So you see, that's why I prefer to name myself something like 'so, I' in an RPG," Ryusei explained. "It works especially well in Pokemon. You get lines like 'so, I saved the game,' or 'so, I used a Great Ball.' But I only do it if I'm in a less-than-serious mood about a repeat playthrough."

"Well, that sounds pretty entertaining," Spike responded. "But what does that have to do with _The Land Before Time XIII – the Wisdom of Friends_?"

"Nothing at all. I just wanted to put myself in a good mood, so I can demonstrate what that movie does to me."

"So, it's _that_ bad, huh?"

"You really want to see?"

"Why not?"

* * *

"Wow," Spike said, as the film concluded. "Well, I don't even know what to say."

"I do," Ryusei continued on Spike's behalf. "Screw this movie. Save a spot next to Tirek in Tartarus for this movie."

"I almost pity you for having seen this film, Ryu. I had no idea. Although I thought Shyamalan's _The Last Airbender_ would have gotten this kind of a response from you."

"Well, to further explain my feelings on this movie, I'll have to show you the other eleven sequels."

* * *

_Eleven film viewings later…_

* * *

"See now?" Ryu asked.

"Not really," Spike answered. "Those movies ranged from good to mediocre. So what?"

"Well, take into account this: the release dates. Respectively, they were 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. The 13th film came out in 2007, by the way. In other words, just about all of my kithood."

"But ferrets don't live for that long."

"I know they don't. But as I was born in 2005, I was shown those films by my owner. Although it was because he left them on for me while he was going to school at the time. The point is, Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike were kithood icons to me. So to see _this_ happen to them…"

"It's like a feeling of…"

"Being betrayed by someone or something you once looked up to," they both said together.

"I can't say I ever had that happen to me," Spike said. "But it sounds like a terrible feeling. Ryu, I'd love to destroy this movie with you, but I want you to promise me something."

"What would that be?"

"I get the feeling that you feel my friends did the same thing to you, that is, betraying you somehow. But despite that, they're still my friends. So, I want you to not make constant cracks about them while we review this movie. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

Spike offered his hand, and then his other hand. "Just so you don't cross your fingers, shake both my hands."

Ryu obliged.

"Now, let's get down to business."

* * *

"Well, for starters, it's not a good sign when a lead character that's been in just about all of this series almost dies in such a needless manner as this," Ryu began.

"Yeah, especially since it was totally Littlefoot's fault," Spike continued. "If he has just GOTTEN OFF THAT STUPID TREE, HIS GRANDMA WOULDN'T HAVE ALMOST FALLEN DOWN THAT CLIFF WHEN SHE SAVED HIM! I mean, even Rainbow Dash isn't _that_ reckless!"

"Especially considering _this_ is Littlefoot's line immediately following that scene."

* * *

_Littlefoot: Thanks, Grandma. But I would have been all right, if it weren't for that earthshake._

* * *

"Way to ruin a 'thank you' with an excuse," Ryu clarified coldly.

"You almost died!" Spike shouted.

"The sad thing is, I actually could have pitied Littlefoot for this, being as he has a nightmare of the worst happening to his grandmother. At least he has guilt over almost causing her death. But as soon as he starts learning basic safety rules, known in this film as 'the Wisdoms,' _everything_ goes downhill."

"See, it's good to try to keep your friends and family safe. However, as Ryu kept saying while we were watching this movie, it's no excuse to have a gigantic 'holier-than-thou,' as he called it, attitude about it. I mean, seriously, Twilight was _modest_ about Pinkie's Pinkie Senses compared to this!"

"As a matter of fact, I agree with you on that one, Spike. In fact, on my way back in here when I went to the bathroom, I left a note for Twilight, apologizing for thinking she was pretentious. Did I just violate the deal?"

"No."

"Good. But anyway, Littlefoot, in the span of this one scene of trying to moderate a dangerous-looking game, suddenly becomes absolutely unlikable. And that's why that following song, 'Say So,' gives me a cathartic feeling, being as Cera, Ducky, and Petrie (and if he would speak, Spike, too) are basically trying to knock Littlefoot off his soapbox with it. Too bad he gets right back on it as soon as he meets Loofah, Doofah, and Foobie."

"Oh, and about those three…" Spike looked pained to talk about it. "I don't think I've _ever_ seen characters in all of fiction as annoying as them. Although Ryu might be able to think of at least one more…"

"Yeah, Littlefoot's soapboxing and the utter stupidity of these three beipiaosauruses—"

"Wait, what?" Spike asked, surprised. "_Those three_ were supposed to be beipiaosauruses?!"

"Yep."

"But they look absolutely NOTHING LIKE BEIPIAOSAURUSES!"

"Yeah, I'm with MarzGurl on this one. These three 'Yellow-bellies,' as the movie calls them, are basically fake dinosaurs Universal made up for this movie. And though she didn't dare use the word that came to mind when she saw them, I will, because I hate this movie so much: those three Yellow-bellies are absolute retards. Like, the clinical definition of a retard. I don't say that lightly, or as an attempt to make a politically incorrect joke; I absolutely am convinced that those three are developmentally disabled."

Spike was a bit shocked to hear that. "Sheesh, Ryu. I know you hate this movie, but I never thought it would push you to use an ableist slur."

"Oh, it can push me to worse things. Still, sorry if anyone got offended by that. Now then, as for these three helping make this movie insufferable, check this out…"

* * *

_Loofah: The place where we're headed for has berries, too. And it's a valley, just like this one. I wish I could remember what it was called._

_Doofah: Is it 'Doofah?' Oh. [laughs] No, that's _my_ name! [laughs, then eats a handful of flowers. She starts choking on it]_

_Loofah: Uh, oh. Hang on! [he rushes over to help Doofah] I gotcha! I gotcha! [He begins using the Heimlich Maneuver on Doofah]_

* * *

"Hey, Mister 'I Must Keep Everyone Safe!'" Ryu said. "She could use some help!"

"Well, Loofah _does_ save Doofah, but Ryu has a point," Spike added. "Why were Littlefoot and his pals just standing there?! They could've at least _tried_ to help!"

"And from this point on is when Littlefoot becomes so know-it-all to the point where it makes him absolutely unlikable. I mean, really, that herd of Goodra wannabes that they eventually did find was doing just fine before he and his friends showed up. They lived without the mains, they can live without them! So there!"

"You know, I forgot about that. This whole movie could've been avoided by that fact alone. And then we wouldn't have had to suffer that _awful_ Yellow-Belly Dance song. That was painful!"

"And neither would we have had to suffer the absolute most hypocritical thing from this entire series. This actually offends me."

* * *

_Petrie: Well, we found herd. Time to go. Home before dark. That deal._

_Littlefoot: Yeah, but maybe not now._

_Ducky: We came to show the Yellow Bellies how to obey the Wisdoms and now we are breaking one? That does not make a lot of sense. No, no, no._

_Littlefoot: I'm sorry. I just think it's safer to stay here with the big group and wait for the bright circle  
to rise again._

_Petrie: Oh, our folks is gonna worry for sure._

* * *

"I remember Ryu just about ragequit at that exchange," Spike said. "To be honest, I wouldn't have blamed him."

"Yep, a movie about following basic safety rules blatantly and hypocritically breaks its own moral," Ryu summarized. "That right there sums up the movie to me: hypocritical, stupid, vapid, and overall a waste of time. It is _the_ worst animated movie I've ever seen in my life, bar none." Ryu then took out the first film. "At this point, this is the only thing that'll cheer me up."

"Wait, which one is that?"

"The first one. I forgot to show you this one. Want to watch it now? It's considered a masterpiece by others other than myself."

* * *

**A/N: And so, that's my review of "The Land Before Time XIII – The Wisdom of Friends." And now, I have a proposal for thatdragonwiththetophat: if you'd like to do a review of the first "The Land Before Time" film, I'll let you borrow Ryusei Taylor for that review. Let me know your answer in either a PM or a review on this entry.**

* * *

_"The Land Before Time" film series is property of Universal. "My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic" is property of Hasbro, The Hub (Discovery Family), and DHX Media._


	30. An announcement and a plug

**A/N: As you probably saw in a review of the previous chapter, thatdragonwiththetophat has agreed to do a review of the original "The Land Before Time." Therefore, he has my permission to use Ryusei Taylor in that review. Stay tuned to his profile (and to his review series "Spike the Snob") for that review once it arrives.**

**Also, you may have seen that the second chapter of my new Pokemon story is up. As it is technically not part of the first major story arc (I see it as the conclusion to the prologue arc, to be honest), that's why I saw fit to submit it. Also, because I wanted to give you all something to tide you over, since I will no longer be updating it until I finish this arc. And this time, that's final.**


	31. May 12, 2015 - Theory Corner 1

May 12, 2015 – Theory Corner 1

* * *

I'm going to sound like most every anime-lover in the world, but so be it: I think Hayao Miyazaki is Japan's answer to Walt Disney. That said, I'll resume my normal mode of speaking for myself, and as myself.

My first Studio Ghibli film was_ Princess Mononoke_, though I didn't see it when it was brand new. Instead, I saw _Pokemon – The First Movie_. Odd thing is, I saw the latter on its first home video release; I've never seen it in theatres. I liked it back then, and I still like it now. And having seen it in Japanese recently, I can say I prefer it over the English dub, despite not being a weeaboo and having a serious bone to pick with a great many of them. Still, the English version is a fond memory for me, and I can bear watching it just fine.

I gotta be honest about a few things, though. First off, a fact: in America, _Princess Mononoke_ and _Pokemon – The First Movie_ both came out in 1999. The former premiered on October 29th, and the latter premiered on November 10th. _Mononoke_ was a cult hit (poor box office revenue, positive critical reception), and _Pokemon_ was a smash hit (overwhelming box office performance), though not with critics or any outsider to the franchise. Now, back to my thoughts: as much as I am a fan of Pokemon, I must admit that_ Princess Mononoke_ was the much better film of those two. Maybe I'll do a review of that film later on (don't hold me to that), but for now, I have a different discussion in mind.

As I said before, _Mononoke_ is my preference between those two films. In fact, it even got more positive reviews from critics, much more positive than what was given to _Pokemon_. I'm sure it's well known exactly what their problem with that movie was, so I'd sound like a broken record if I were to mention it. Yet, it was _Pokemon_ that made more money in the box office, so much so that _Toy Story 2_ was the only animated film that could catch up and then surpass it. Why is that?

Well, I have a few theories regarding that.

First off, promotion and advertising. _Mononoke_ was a bit of a quiet release, and it didn't even have that long of a theatrical run. It wasn't too advertised, either. _Pokemon_ was promoted like crazy. Commercials were everywhere (in fact, it made me never, ever forget that November 10th was the release date), the show had events leading up to the feature, and (this is the most important tidbit) the Pokemon franchise was at the height of its cultural phenomenon status. If something had Pokemon on it, it would be destined to end up in the hands of an excited fan. Not to mention that the Mewtwo card was given out upon purchase of tickets to see the film (while supplies lasted of course; I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of theatres running out of those cards), so that helped, too.

But although I know that to have been a factor, I irresistibly wonder why Miramax didn't promote _Mononoke_ more. After all, they went to the trouble of getting big Hollywood stars to be in it. We're talking huge names like Billy Crudup (Russell Hammond in _Almost Famous_) as the lead character Ashitaka, Claire Danes (Beth March in _Little Women_) as the eponymous princess, Minnie Driver (Skylar in _Good Will Hunting_ and also Jane Porter in Disney's _Tarzan_) as Lady Eboshi, and Billy Bob Thornton (Karl Childers in _Sling Blade_) as Jigo. And in fact, acclaimed author Neil Gaiman was the writer of the English dub script. Why not use that to advertise the film?

But anyway, my other theory is another rather big factor: the rating. All things considered, Pokemon is a family-friendly franchise with just about no objectionable content in it (with a few notable exceptions in the form of the episodes the dub banned). So _Pokemon – The First Movie_ ended up getting a G rating. _Princess Mononoke_ didn't get off that easily, though. It's a rather violent film. For that and its intense imagery, it ended up getting a PG-13 rating. In fact, I'd read somewhere that a lot of families taking their kids to see it walked out within the first fifteen minutes. Plus, when it comes to animation, it's always assumed to be for kids, hence the shock. But when an animated work actually is kid-friendly, it becomes the preferred alternative.

And so that's why I think _Pokemon – The First Movie_ was able to make more money than _Princess Mononoke_ in the box office. Though I recommend both these movies, I give greater recommendation to _Mononoke_.


	32. May 16, 2015 - More Pokemon Soapboxing

May 16, 2015 – More Pokémon Soapboxing

* * *

I'm such a fool sometimes. What was I thinking, threatening to firebend at Spike?! And also, selling out my true thoughts on the Land Before Time sequels?!

…

Well, que sera sera, as they say. I did have fun with him, anyway.

I'm back home again for now, so now what?

Well, I guess since I'm in the mood, I think I'll discuss something that's been on my mind for a long time now. And that would be Pokémon dub inventions.

Yes, I know I did a small (miserable excuse of a) countdown back last December about this subject, but I'd like to elaborate a bit about it. So if you haven't read that entry, stop now, read it, and come back here.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Okay, where did I leave off? Oh, yes, the bit I was going to say about dub inventions.

Actually, I'd like to get one giant elephant in the room addressed, and that would be when I said I'd be giving a piece of my mind to the Dogasu's Backpack update titled "Diancie and the Destruction of My Faith in the Dub." Well, I had a plan to do that, but I had abandoned it once I had calmed myself from my initial wrath I felt toward it.

And it's fortunate that I did, because I actually have something else to say on that matter. As some of you might know, I frequent that site a lot. It's where I learned of all this stuff that was changed when Pokémon was translated into English (i.e.: Latios and Latias gaining a new backstory in Pokémon Heroes, Mewtwo becoming a less complex character in the first Pokémon film, the fact that it had been a year since Ash was last in Viridian City by the time he went to get the Earth Badge, etc.). See, the source of my love-hate relationship with that site is that I love it that it's an easy source for me to learn this stuff from; what I hate is how that information is shared sometimes. Now, I know the webmaster isn't 100% serious in his comments about the dub, but sometimes some remarks go to such an extent that it honestly doesn't look to me like he's joking. One of the biggest cases of that was when he called attention to this line of Ash's in the episode _The Battle of the Badge_:

* * *

_Ash: I can't believe it's been a whole year since we were here._

* * *

His say on that line, after calling it "one of the biggest lies the 4kids dub has ever told us," was as follows:

"One of the annoying things about the English dub of this series is how it has its own canon that's separate from the Japanese version. There are a lot of things that apply only to the dub and so whenever someone says something about Brock's mom being dead or Meowth's first word being the word "Rocket" then we fans of the Japanese version have to sigh and be like "yeah, OK, _but in the Japanese version dot dot dot_." Please believe me when I say that it's as annoying for us to say as it is for you to have to hear it."

You're preaching to the choir on that last sentence, by the way.

Thing is, yes, I know it's irresistible to rattle off this kind of stuff. In fact, I even left a review on Zorua's review of Pokémon Heroes talking about the backstory change. Yeah, even I'm not above soapboxing about it. Still, I try to phrase it in a way so as not to make 4kids or PUSA sound like they had deliberate subterfuge in mind when they made these changes. Again, I know the webmaster of Dogasu's Backpack isn't thinking it, either, but he can sound like he does whenever he uses words along the lines of "lies."

And this all led me to another conclusion: even after I discovered all this about the original Japanese Pokémon continuity, I sure didn't feel like I was lied to by the dub. If anything, watching original Japanese Pokémon episodes and movies makes me feel like I'm experiencing a new telling of Ash's (or Satoshi's, as I'm talking about the Japanese show here) journey, kind of like discovering the original story of any fairy tale Disney made a movie of (though maybe not _that_ drastically different). Still, though the dub had some serious changes to it even to the extent of its storytelling, I'd never say it's a liar. Sure, I don't think the various Americanizations made much sense (calling a food that is very clearly a rice ball donuts?), nor did the reason Michael Haigney gave for doing that, but is that such a terrible thing? I grew up with the dub of Pokémon, and that can't be undone. It's like what Sora said at the end of _Kingdom Hearts – Chain of Memories_:

* * *

_Sora: The way I felt then, that was no lie._

* * *

Exactly. So, though I saw a version of Ash's journey that was different than how it was originally written, I just feel like I've been told a slightly different story; I don't feel like I was told a deceitful pack of lies.

* * *

_Pokémon is property of Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokémon Company International._

_Dogasu's Backpack is property of Dogasu's Backpack._


	33. May 21, 2015 - New PMD Game Announced

May 21, 2015 - PSMD

* * *

What's 'PSMD,' you say? "Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon," of course, just announced today. Here's just a small list of my hopes for it, totally thrown together in seconds and possibly out of control:

I hope it won't be one of those cursed free-to-play games.

I hope its story is as good as the Explorers games.

I hope its cast of characters is as good as Gates to Infinity's cast.

I hope its partner character is as good as the one from the Explorers games (FYI, the partner was always my favorite character in those ones; in fact, I'll devote a second to make this short list of my five favorite characters from Explorers: 5. Bidoof, 4. Chatot, 3. Guildmaster Wigglytuff, 2. The Player character, 1. The Partner character.).

I hope it won't be one of those cursed free-to-play games.

I hope the gameplay changes GtI made will be staying (i.e.: no Hunger timer, move power increasing per use, etc.).

I hope the world itself will be a memorable one.

I hope it won't be one of those cursed free-to-play games.

I hope its soundtrack goes all Final Fantasy on us.

I hope its story won't be anything like how face-slapping FFXIII was.

I hope it won't be one of those cursed free-to-play games.

I hope to see some changes from the usual PMD formula (i.e.: the hero being a Pokemon rather than a human becoming a Pokemon, an ending that is happy, just to name a few).

I hope to see some good camaraderie between the hero, partner, and other cast members.

I hope it won't be one of those cursed free-to-play games.

As of now, those are my hopes for PSMD.


	34. May 23, 2015-Defending Gates to Infinity

May 23, 2015 – In Defense of Gates to Infinity

* * *

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: _Pokemon Mystery Dungeon – Gates to Infinity_ is to the _Pokemon Mystery Dungeon – Explorers_ games what _The Legend of Korra_ is to _Avatar – the Last Airbender_. That is, it's a sequel that really doesn't get enough credit. Even though I know GtI has its fans, I still feel alone in liking it. So, I guess I am going to forever condemn myself to loneliness by admitting that I've learned to like GtI more.

If anyone's still here reading this, I'll now explain why.

I've heard it said that you can forgive a lot from a bad game if its story is good. Actually, that's almost word-for-word what The Spoony One said during his review of _Final Fantasy VIII_. However, I actually believe in the opposite of that. To me, gameplay is the most important part of a game. It's how I still enjoy the _Kingdom Hearts_ series even though its story has become the most hopelessly convoluted mess of a story I've seen in fiction. But why do I value gameplay so much? Because, well, I'd like to be able to actually play it and finish it, thank you very much. And I'll thank you, game, if you have as little hindering quirks as possible that sour the experience. That way, if I fail, it'll actually be _my_ fault and not _yours_.

But don't think I'm calling the _Explorers_ games (or even the _Rescue Team_ games) bad games. However, I will call them really damn annoying to play most of the time. Now, I know stuff like the Hunger mechanic is a part of the Roguelike genre. In that case, I guess I just don't like that genre as much as I thought I would.

Thank goodness for the removal of that feature (except for within some of the DLC dungeons and post-game dungeons I never visit anyway). That alone earns _Gates to Infinity_ great favor from me.

But that's not all. That would just be shallow of me to like a PMD entry just because it got rid of one annoying mechanic. It actually made other adjustments I greatly enjoyed. In fact, the removal of the Hunger mechanic is actually second place when it comes to gameplay improvements _Gates_ made. The best mechanic by far is the new Moves mechanic, in which a move gains more power and better accuracy the more it's used and therefore gains EXP. Yes, moves have EXP, and it's glorious. Also, call me old-fashioned, but I like it better when games let me pick a character to be. So yes, I was ecstatic to also see the survey bit go away (and by the way, here's hoping that won't return in _Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon_), though I must admit I would've liked more than just five Pokemon to choose from.

And then there's Pokemon Paradise. Just like the partner character, I put a lot of work into that place. And I got very attached to it. I also really liked the idea of there being more than just one hub town. Not to mention that these two towns don't overshadow one another. No matter how grand I managed to make Paradise, I still had reason to visit Post Town.

Oh, and the Team Skills mechanic was a stroke of genius. Though I did miss the Gummis, they did have to make up a new way to get special skills, being as the Hunger mechanic got removed. So, with Gummis being rendered meaningless (so much so that they aren't even in this game), Team Skills are instead gained from those Treasure Boxes you get in dungeons. Now, I'll admit it was a bit annoying how the randomizer for that worked against me many times, but I think it was made up for by the fact that these skills go to your whole team rather than just one individual member.

But there was one mistake that was made here, and that would be the removal of multitasking. Yes, I agreement with everyone who says it's inconvenient to only be able to do one job at a time. Because it is.

Wait, I take that back. The only other mistake made here is its endgame. Why did the Bittercold have to take final boss lessons from Yu Yevon (even though I still regard Yu Yevon as being the bigger tease of a final boss being as _Final Fantasy X_ was a much more grandiose game)? Seriously, just like with Yu Yevon, you cannot lose to the Bittercold. Even if you're defeated, you get auto-revived, even if you don't have a Reviver Seed. Yeah, Bittercold was an awful final boss, and I'm sure this game's fans are calling Kyurem the game's true final boss, being as he's the last opponent the game will acknowledge that you lost to if you're defeated.

Well, that's it for gameplay. I'll skip the story, since that's the one aspect _Gates_ is outclassed by _Explorers_ in. Instead, I'll talk next about characters.

Oh, _Explorers_ had some excellent characters, my top 5 being (from 1 to 5) the partner, the hero, Guildmaster Wigglytuff, Chatot, and Bidoof. Grovyle would be sixth, because as great a character as he is, I just like those other five more. But I'm not forgetting anyone else, though. It's just that _Gates_ ended up having a better cast. Not to mention the story's focus isn't just on the hero and partner, so that was an addition I was all in favor for. Speaking of whom, I'll list the other focused-on characters now: Virizion (who at first I didn't like for her initial attitude, but then grew to really like), Emolga (whose temperament and loyalty was very charming), and Dunsparce (whose cowardice-trumping loyalty was also very charming). And those are just the playable ones. Even the non-playables are memorable to me: Quagsire (whose verbal tic was funny, and whose stoic personality was great; though I would've liked to know about his vigilante backstory, since the game glossed over that), Gurdurr (for having a great backstory and becoming a loyal ally, getting him back into living honestly), the Timburr twins (for wanting the best for their boss), Hydreigon (for being an actually responsible spirit, as well as one of the greatest subversions of how I thought a Pokemon like him should act; it's actually because of this guy that I started thinking that there's no one true portrayal of a Pokemon. Take it from the author who made a villain out of a Mew. But I digress. And this parenthetical note went on too long.), and even Munna (sorry Keldeo the Critic, but I don't agreement with your #6; Munna's motivation was clear, at least to me, and I don't need it spelled out in over-detail. After all, it's more than what we got for Quagsire, whose backstory isn't elaborated on at all. Anyway, to me, she was a good tragic villain.). As great as the _Explorers_ cast was, the _Gates _cast is even closer to my heart.

Oh, and as for Keldeo, I couldn't care less about him having mood swings. However, I will agreement with Matthais Unidostres that the main series Keldeo is the better version of the character.

But I'd also like to point out that I would've liked to see more of Meloetta in this game, rather than just making her the means to gain a Sound Test feature. Although admittedly, the idea of Meloetta's gender changing when she switches forms was marvelous.

I could say the graphics are better, but I don't consider graphics a deciding point in anything.

But there you have it. There's why I like _Gates to Infinity_ better than the _Explorers_ games. Now I have a question for you all to answer in the reviews: what are your hopes for _Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon_?


	35. May 31, 2015 - PSMD Trailer

May 31, 2015 – PSMD Trailer

* * *

Yes, there's a trailer out now, and I just got done watching it. Already, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon looks great. I won't spoil too much except for one thing: as player (and possibly also partner) characters, every single starter from all six generations are available, and so are Pikachu (because the mascot can't be ignored) and Riolu. Now, for non-spoilery stuff, it looks like it's running off the same graphics engine as Gates to Infinity. And best of all, here are its release dates: September 17 in Japan, December in America, and sometime in early 2016 in Europe.

And that's all I will say about it. If you want to see more, find the trailer yourself on Youtube.

Oh, and while I'm on the topic of PSMD, let me share another hope I have for this game, and I can't believe I forgot this one: I hope to see Mega Evolution put to use somehow.

Anyway, if this game manages to surpass Gates to Infinity, it'll be my new favorite PMD game.

And did I mention I hope it won't be a free-to-play game? Nintendo and Chunsoft, don't do it, damn it!


	36. June 9, 2015 - Next PSMD Trailer

June 9, 2015 - Another PSMD Trailer

* * *

It was the best one yet.

Just kidding, although there hasn't yet been a bad one, per se. However, I will say that something in it disappointed me. I'll put it into perspective with a quote from my defense of _Gates to Infinity_...

* * *

"But don't think I'm calling the _Explorers_ games (or even the _Rescue Team_ games) bad games. However, I will call them really damn annoying to play most of the time. Now, I know stuff like the Hunger mechanic is a part of the Roguelike genre. In that case, I guess I just don't like that genre as much as I thought I would.

Thank goodness for the removal of that feature (except for within some of the DLC dungeons and post-game dungeons I never visit anyway). That alone earns _Gates to Infinity_ great favor from me."

* * *

Well, I'm sad to say that has been all but confirmed to return. But what was confirmed in the trailer was something else I feared the return of. The personality quiz is back.

So, in summation, the two features that held back both of _Gates_'s predecessors (yes, I know there was a PMD series that didn't make it out of Japan) in my eyes have returned. It's not looking like PSMD will be my new favorite, but I will still not say anything for certain. If anything, this trailer elicited a quiet, headshaking "damn it all" reaction from me. Still, it does make me sad to see that after Chunsoft was on the right track by taking those mechanics out, they're going back to reinstating them.

Now, on an unrelated side note, I've decided on a schedule for my current story "Planes of Existence." Since I'm done writing the first major story arc, I will be submitting a new chapter every Friday. And I will resume that schedule once I get the next arc finished.

Two last questions: 1. any guesses as to what I'll be doing on my second anniversary here?

2\. Since all the starters (and Pikachu and Riolu) are available as hero and partner, what are you wanting your hero and partner to be?


	37. June 13, 2015 - Two Year Anniversary

June 13, 2015 – I've Been Here for Two Years?!

* * *

I had a hard time believing that, myself. But I took another look at my profile on this site, and it's true. My join date is June 13, 2013. And it sure has been a great ride. My first year was spent writing the "Hope and Faith" trilogy, and my second year was spent on this journal. So, I wonder what my third year will be spent on?

Well, while I mull that over, I'll give a quick rundown of some of the stuff that happened in my two years here: as I said already, I devoted my first year to the "Hope and Faith" trilogy, so not much else happened there. My second year was spent on this journal, and that's where the real fun started: I got Virizion 2.6 into the Avatar franchise when I did Korra Month, found myself at odds with Spike the Snob (who, by the way, is now a friend of mine), got to meet Keldeo the Critic on more than one occasion, and my general attitude toward my Littlest Pet Shop Day Camp pals took a turn for the better. Actually, speaking of this journal, it's been going on for more than one year, but I missed the chance to celebrate that anniversary. Oh well, I can celebrate that, too.

But how will I do it?

Well, I had a few ideas, but I had to think better of doing each of them. I thought of doing a roast for each of my pals here on this site, but then I remembered what a disaster it was when I roasted my LPSDC friends sometime before I first went to Equestria last year…

* * *

_Ryu: So, let me now list three things about Penny Ling, in order of big to biggest: her butt, her head, and her ego!_

_[the comment was met with stunned and offended silence from the blue and white panda bear]_

_Ryu: Yep. Now let me list some things that are bigger than her ego…_

* * *

Hah… actually, now that I think about it, I didn't even get to roast anyone else before Russell urged me to cancel the event. But yeah, that was a spectacular mistake. Then I thought about doing a giant collab review with all my reviewer pals. Yeah, a big review event by me, Keldeo the Critic, Zorua, the Angry Bug, Meloetta the Chick, Arceus the Critic, and Button Mash. How great would that have been?

But they were all busy.

It's okay, guys.

And then, I thought of probably the best possible activity: a Pokémon journey! That would be great, right? A journey across all the Pokémon regions, with just my team of Pokémon that I trained in the art of elemental bending?

But by the time I'd be done with that, I'd be back in time to celebrate my twenty-first anniversary. And I'm not missing nineteen anniversaries to do that.

With that, I was completely out of ideas. So I just got into Casey's video collection to just binge-watch my sorrows (if any) away. And then I finally settled on an idea: a review of a show that defined an important part of my life.

Now, as you know, _Avatar – the Last Airbender_ and _The Legend of Korra_ are tied for first place on my favorite shows list. The latter is the defining show of my young adulthood, and the former would have been the defining show of my adolescence if I had seen it when it was first on. That's why _The Simpsons_ gets that award instead. And for my late kithood, _Pokémon_ was the defining show. But it's the show you see in your early kithood that's important. It could very well shape your tastes. So, boy is it a good thing that my first show was the one it was, the defining show of my early kithood. And looking back, it's a show that even today still holds up.

And that show is _The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh_.

Were I to separate my favorite shows into categories based on genre, _The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh_ would top the slice-of-life list. As far as those types of shows go, this is absolute perfection. All slice-of-life shows ought to take hints from this one; yes, even _Littlest Pet Shop_ could stand to learn a few things from this show. Why is that you didn't ask?

Well, for starters, its cast. And let's be fair here: it's hard to make the Hundred Acre Wood's denizens look unlikable. Do that, this show did not. In fact, I'd dare say this show is where they're the most likable. Winnie the Pooh is innocently sweet as always, Piglet is his usual timid self, Tigger is as energetic as ever, Rabbit is as orderly and grouchy as he's known to be, Eeyore's gloomy, Gopher's a hard worker, Kanga is still motherly and caring, Roo is energetic, Owl is as long-windedly wise as always, and Christopher Robin is still an ideal mentor. And that's just the main cast. And believe me, the show gives lots of time to see exactly what I mean.

Now for the setting. The Hundred Acre Wood is such a peaceful place. Such peace is maintained even in the _Kingdom Hearts_ series. Really, what else can be said about it?

I gotta say, this show is a rather special specimen. It ran just about the entire gamut of what family shows could do. There have been funny episodes, crazy episodes, imagine spot episodes, mystery episodes, sad episodes, heartwarming episodes, and even creepy episodes. It's actually kinda surreal seeing Disney's Winnie the Pooh in any form going into some of those territories.

And now, to conclude this entry, here are my ten favorite episodes:

* * *

**10\. Paw and Order**

This is a rather interesting one. Its framing device is an old west play that's being put on, and most of the episode is a fantasy having to do with said play. I have to say, it's incredibly surreal hearing a Jack Nicholson impression coming out of a horse thief (and by the way, that's a great visual pun right there being as he's a horse).

**9\. Three Little Piglets**

This one might be the shortest episode of the series, clocking in at only five minutes. I must admit that I never wondered what would happen if Rabbit, Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet were to read the story of the Three Little Pigs and get it all wrong. Despite that, I was amused at the answer to what I never asked.

**8\. The Masked Offender**

Episodes starring Tigger are either laugh-out-loud hilarious or off-the-wall insane. The insanity of this episode isn't what I'd call off-the-wall, but it's still crazy enough to warrant that assessment. Besides, what other result could there be when Tigger decides to become a masked superhero?

**7\. Cleanliness is Next to Impossible**

As I said before, this show ran a large gamut of what family shows could do. This is likely the creepiest thing to come out of Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise (well, until _Pooh's Grand Adventure – The Search for Christopher Robin_, that is, although I thought that movie was more sad than scary). Thought the "Heffalumps and Woozles" song from _Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery _Day was unsettling? The show's staff really took care to make the messy fantasy world under Christopher Robin's bed look dangerous, I must say. Oh, and it certainly helps that this fearsome place is ruled by a sludge monster that sounds exactly like _Sonic SatAM_'s Dr. Robotnik (no joke; he does).

**6\. Party Poohper**

Oh, the writers must have been waiting _ages_ to use that one. Still, it's a great episode. It entails Rabbit as he tries to make a perfect party for his relatives. And of course, since Rabbit is to the Hundred Acre Wood what Squidward is to Bikini Bottom (though not nearly to that extent), nothing goes as right for him as he wants it to go. Still, all things considered, he's happy to have had things work out fine anyway.

**5\. Rabbit Marks the Spot**

Here we are with another crazy one. And once again, Rabbit's the victim of everyone else's reckless playtime. This time, his garden gets dug up by Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Gopher, who are playing Pirates and searching for treasure. So Rabbit decides to bury some rocks in a chest for them to find. And once they do, we get to see some funny attempts to get the stubborn thing open, one attempt leading to the very first verbal joke I ever understood and laughed at:

* * *

_(Tigger and Gopher drop the chest on an anvil Pooh and Piglet placed on the floor in Piglet's living room. Cut to an outside shot of Piglet's house as Rabbit overhears what's going on inside)_

_Piglet: Where'd it go?_

_Tigger: In the basement._

_Piglet: But I don't have a basement._

_Tigger: You do now._

* * *

Of all the funtime episodes, this one is my favorite.

**4\. The Good, the Bad, and the Tigger**

As a kit, this one was my favorite episode. It's the perfect appeal to a child's "train" phase. But I'm not a child anymore, so I can't be so biased. Looking back, though, this is still a great episode. It's another fantasy episode, set in the old west. Now don't worry; it's not a repeat of "Paw and Order." Instead, it's a fast-paced train adventure. It's one of the most off-the-wall insane things you'll ever see, I must say. Plus, I really do like its lesson of "you must ask before you borrow; borrowing without asking is stealing, which is bad."

**3\. Friend in Deed**

As I got older, I got to appreciate the finer aspects of the Winnie the Pooh franchise. When you get right down to it, it's a collection of stories about friends living their lives in a special place. And so, they ought to be treated as such. In this episode, Rabbit has had enough of Pooh constantly borrowing honey (don't worry; Pooh asked), so he comes up with a plan to get that to stop: he pretends to move away. This moves Pooh to go get Rabbit some honey to genuinely give to him. See, for as innocently gluttonous as Pooh can be, he really does care. He might even be the original Care Bear.

Yeah, sorry about that.

**2\. Donkey for a Day**

Sometimes there were episodes that felt like they were going to be rewrites of earlier plotlines of the franchise. This episode at first seems like it would just rehash _Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore_ once everyone decides to cheer Eeyore up. But it doesn't. Because every attempt fails. In the end, it's actually Eeyore who cheers everyone else up. How, you may ask? I'm not telling, because it's such a beautiful ending that I don't want to risk pre-warm-and-fuzzying your heart by spoiling it. Seriously, it's in my top three favorite endings of any work of fiction ever.

**1.****Find Her, Keep Her**

Oh, mercy. In all my years of TV-watching, I've never seen a work of art like this. It's the best episode of any TV show of anything I've ever seen. To think that a concept as simple as Rabbit raising a baby bluebird could be the thing that got a cold-hearted fool like me to empathize. I actually seriously considered just reviewing this episode for this anniversary special, but I decided not to on the grounds that I could risk ruining the motivation by any of you to see it yourselves. It's just that good.

* * *

So, there you have it. This was the show that defined my kithood. I strongly recommend it.

Also, in addition to this journal, I will be devoting time to my new story, "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Planes of Existence," as well as its spinoff "Tales of Pocketurn." Be sure to check those out.

I will end this entry by extending my biggest thanks to Matthais Unidostres, DragonNiro, thatdragonwiththetophat, myraah, Wish Counselor, Imperator Justinian, and Virizion 2.6 for making my two years here such a great time. Here's to a great third year!


	38. June 18, 2015 - A Certain Milestone

June 18, 2015 – They Had How Many Episodes?!

* * *

So, how about E3, huh? I gotta say, Nintendo had it a bit better last year. Sony and Microsoft don't interest me too much, and neither does Ubisoft. Square Enix was a bit interesting, but that might be only because of the announcements of a remake of Final Fantasy VII, not to mention another trailer for Kingdom Hearts III, a game I've wanted for seven years and counting. Sheesh, what took them so long?! Kingdom Hearts II came out in 2005 (2006 where I live), and KHIII is coming out in 2017. For those not counting, that's twelve years! Oh well; at least I have two more years to get a Playstation 4 to play it on.

And yes, some new announcements about Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon were made, but not during the actual digital event. However, during the Nintendo Treehouse Live (separate from the main showcase), there was a preview play of the game's first dungeon. Of course, Foreboding Forest probably won't make the final cut. Even still, it looked great. The move upgrade mechanic from Gates to Infinity is returning, so that's a plus. The quiz is confirmed to be optional, so any excitement over the game that I'd lost since the last announcement is now back just for that. But I can't say it all completely returned, since the hunger mechanic is also definitely back, damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnit—

**(To anyone reading this, this is Russell Ferguson temporarily commandeering this journal entry. Originally, that string of the same expletive repeated over and over again went on for about two pages, so I trimmed it down to just five repeats. He insisted that I do so in hopes that his frustration over that announcement could be properly expressed. Seriously, Ryu, there are better ways to show your frustration without sounding like those kids on South Park.)**

_(Well, what do you expect, Russell?! That cursed mechanic is worse than having to pause the game in Ocarina of Time to switch Link's boots in the Water Temple!)_

**(You don't even hate the Water Temple, Ryu!)**

_(That's beside the point!)_

**(Maybe so, but don't you think you've gotten on that mechanic's case enough already? Besides, you're turning your own journal into a debate room. Let's just talk about this later.)**

_(Okay, then. I needed to get back to the point, anyway.)_

All right, anyway…

So, yeah. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is looking great once again. It might end up surpassing Gates to Infinity after all. You never know; there's always room for surprises. After all, I didn't think Explorers of Sky could be surpassed. But I've been surprised before.

…

It's kinda sad, actually. I still do enjoy Explorers of Sky, but oddly enough, not when I'm actually playing it myself. Too many thorn-in-the-side mechanics kill my motivation to pick it up again, as all of you know by now. I deluged the room in the scent of Dove the last few times I complained about it. The anime specials about the game are probably the worst Pokémon anime works ever made if you don't have any context from the game about it, and with context, they're just okay. The manga adaptation was exceptional, though. Too bad it never left Japan officially, and fan translations are hard to find. So, Let's Plays it was for me to re-experience the game.

Sheesh, I must sound like I hate Explorers of Sky. To be honest, I don't. But I also don't particularly like it, either. I don't know whether to put it in last place on a list of my most favorite games or in last place on a list of my least favorite games. But in summary, I think it's overrated. By that, I mean it's got its strong points (good cast of characters, great storyline), but its weak point (gameplay crippled by annoying mechanics that add the most artificial and fake of difficulty imaginable) is too significant for me to overlook. Though when it comes to overrated stuff, I'd never call this game trash. It's not like it's My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic or anything like that.

I won't promise that it will be, but that will hopefully be my final word on Explorers of Sky. And with that, time for me to get to the true contents of this entry.

* * *

I was told this, and I didn't believe it when I heard it. MLPFiM has 100 episodes as of last Saturday. So I looked up an episode list and found that my informant was right.

I both feared and knew it would make it that far.

Those who know me know that I have hated MLPFiM since February 2013, and I'll have you know that it was not because Twilight Sparkle became a princess. It was because the show (which was in its third season) hit rock bottom exactly one episode prior to the episode where Twilight's Deus Ex Coronation took place. I vowed not to see any more of that show since then.

However, as I am a bigger friend than I am a MLPFiM hater, I decided to break that vow when Matthais Unidostres asked me for an outsider view on the 100th episode. I was told by him that it was mostly Brony fanservice.

Upon seeing it, I'd say that calling it fanservice would be putting it lightly. I'd say that it's more like Brony—

**(Wow, Ryu. That comment was severely uncalled for. Readers, I just got done deleting a long-winded comment of a lewd nature that I don't even dare repeat. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can figure out a way to unread things, because after what I just edited out, I need it.)**

I'm not going to go to Equestria this time (in fact, I'd only visit again just to hang out with Spike, my buddy). Last time I did that was disastrous. So I will be focusing this entry on the problem that would've kept me from enjoying this episode even if I was still a Brony.

Yes, the fanservice got in the way.

I do understand that this episode is a thank-you gift to the Bronies. For that, I give big kudos to Hasbro. But the gift itself was less than impressive. Thing is, there's a way to do this kind of thing right. A work can have fanservice and still be of substance. Take Final Fantasy X-2, for example. That game was full of fanservice. It's probably the most non-pornographic sexual game ever made, and that was all in the name of fanservice. Yet it didn't get in the way of the game telling its story.

But "Slice of Life" made that exact mistake. It's so overloaded with implicit thank-yous that it forgot to attach a comprehensive story to it. All it had was a beginning and an end: Cranky and Matilda's wedding accidentally got scheduled to the present day, and they get married at the end. And literally every other point of the episode is just fanservice: in-jokes only Bronies would get, over-the-top antics that belong in a fan video, and canonization of most of the fandom's creations. I actually was a bit relieved to see that there was some stuff made up by the writers rather than by the fans, like how Bon Bon is a secret agent. Not that it helped the episode's case, though.

So, in summation, I didn't like this episode. Big shock, right? Also, did you know the sun is very hot and bright?

Okay, but seriously, I can't see my past Brony self enjoying this episode, either. The fanservice getting in the way of everything that should've mattered more to the writers is what destroyed this episode. As this was meant to be a "thank you" gift from Hasbro to the Bronies, I would've gotten a "well, it's the thought that counts" kind of reaction to it. But as I am now, my reaction can be summed up as "Bronies, you got gypped." And I don't think that's fair to them.

But to the Bronies who somehow did enjoy this episode, I'm glad you liked it.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry if part of this journal made me sound like an Explorers of Sky hater. Also, this was done by request from Matthais Unidostres.  
I'd also like to clear something up: for those of you who may have tried to post a review of my second anniversary entry (my review of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) and weren't able to, it's because I had deleted the chapter that teased that particular review. And as there was already a "Chapter 37" there when I did that, the deletion moved the actual "Chapter 37" back to "Chapter 36," and my second anniversary entry became the new "Chapter 37." So, I basically unintentionally created a paradoxical loophole that kept reviews from appearing, if any reviews on "Chapter 37" were made before I did all that.  
One more thing: I've settled on an update schedule for my new PMD story, "Planes of Existence." While a story arc is currently going on, I will be putting up a new chapter every Friday. Be sure to check it out.**


	39. June 24, 2015 - A PMD Editorial

June 24, 2015 – A PMD Editorial

* * *

Now, I'm sure your first thought upon seeing this entry's title is _"oh, whoop-dee-doo. Ryu's getting on Explorers of Sky's case yet again…"_

Actually, you'd only be half-correct about that. And though I can't promise that this will be the last time I speak of it (after all, I am the fool who couldn't even keep a vow not to watch MLPFiM again), I can at least hold myself to that I will at least keep my mouth shut about it next time press release about PSMD comes out.

Anyway, as Arceus the Critic recently did an editorial about what my favorite generation (Gen 5) of Pokemon did right as far as he was concerned, I'm going to do that with _Explorers of Sky_. Or rather, I'll be listing what I liked most and what I liked least about it. Because although it is my honest thought that it's an obnoxiously overrated game, it's still a good experience.

So, here goes nothing…

* * *

First, the positives:

**It really does have the best story of the PMD games  
**

Well, up until a certain point I'll get to later...

You all know by now that I value gameplay over story. But that doesn't mean that I'll disregard that a story's there. I'd go so far as to say that it's the game's saving grace and one of two advantages it has over _Gates to Infinity_. Its plot twists were properly built up, it gave its important characters things to do, and it all ended nicely.

**It allows for multitasking**

As much grief as I've given this game for its most annoying gameplay mechanics, I will always applaud it for letting me do more than one job at a time. This is the other advantage it has over _Gates_, as a matter of fact. More jobs means more rewards, and in a genre like this, you'll need lots of provisions.

**A lot of memorable characters**

To me, the top three characters in this game are the partner, Guildmaster Wigglytuff, and Chatot. The partner develops the most, Wigglytuff is enjoyably whimsical, and Chatot is enjoyably strict. And there's certainly good reason Grovyle is so fondly remembered by anyone who played this game, though I think he's also a bit of an overrated character.

**A lot of memorable locations**

Memorable characters do have to have a world to inhabit, after all. Treasure Town, the Guild, the Hidden Land (my third favorite endgame level behind the Glacier Palace and The World That Never Was), etc.; yeah, there's hardly a location I don't remember. And the DS really outdid itself in showing the details of a few of them.

**A lot of memorable music**

What's a game without a few of these? My top five picks would be both the Hidden Land tracks, both the Dark Crater tracks, and the Guild's theme.

* * *

Now time for me to pick on this game once again. And since you all know how much I absolutely despise the hunger mechanic for being the fakest form of difficulty imaginable and the personality quiz for being a needless entryway distraction, as well as how Roguelikes generally play, I'm not putting gameplay on the list…

**Dusknoir cannot fool the genre-savvy**

The first Explorers game I played was _Explorers of Time_, and that was back when I was younger. Therefore, I was not as wise to writing tropes as I am now. That was literally the only reason I thought Dusknoir was good when he acted like he was. See, whenever a story has a deceptive villain, there are two things the story does to accidentally give that character's side away: they don't try hard enough to hide their intentions (example: Unalaq from Book 2 of _The Legend of Korra_), or they try _way_ too hard to seem friendly (Dusknoir). (By the way, as an unimportant side note, the only case I can think off the top of my head of a deceptive villain done right is Prince Hans from Disney's _Frozen_, by virtue of the fact that he acted just friendly enough.) So, by the time I got to the fifth Special Episode of _Explorers of Sky_, I was no longer surprised by anything having to do with him. I'm not even kidding when I say that I predicted that he'd attempt to backstab Grovyle once again, that he'd turn good for real, and even that he, Grovyle, Celebi, the Sableye, and Dialga would be spared from being fatally timeline-retconned. Speaking of that…

**Special Episode 5 could've had a more dramatic ending**

I know I'll sound terrible for saying this, but the entire future crew should've disappeared. Don't misunderstand me; I definitely would've been sad to see that happen. And that's exactly the thing: the developers totally missed the _most absolutely perfect_ chance to make a tragic ending that would've shaken all expectations. That episode could've ended with them succeeding in their mission and seeing that sunrise as they stopped being. And then, its denouement could've focused on possible descendants of some of the characters from the present time giving some kind of thanks to Grovyle, Dusknoir, Celebi, the Sableye, and the Hero and Partner for giving them a world where time moves. But instead, a literal Deus ex Machina spares them.

**The main plot could've had a more dramatic ending**

Basically, refer to the above complaint and substitute "hero character" into it. True, that would have some adverse effects on the postgame, but the story was so well done that they could've found a way to compensate for the main character being missing. I can't even see the gameplay suffering much for it, as F.U.B.A.R. as the gameplay is. After all, there's no problem playing as other random recruit Pokemon, so I don't think there would've been a problem promoting the partner to main player character status.

**Darkrai**

And here's that "certain point" I mentioned in my first positive...

There are two words that perfectly describe my feelings about this guy:

Villain Sue.

A rundown of his track record: sabotaged Temporal Tower, caused the hero character to turn from human into Pokemon, numerous escape plans. Basically, he's the reason all of this happened. You know what this sounds like to me? This sounds to me like someone making an OC villain be the true threat that no one knew about until their fanfiction starts (ironically, I myself fell into that trap when I wrote the Hope and Faith trilogy; what was I thinking?!).

So, game, you're honestly meaning to tell me that everything— absolutely damn **_everything _**I did in the entire part of the game before the credits—you know, the whole stopping time from stopping? Remember that?—you're telling me that all of that was _meaningless_ and was caused by some generic doomsday shadow?! And you also mean to tell me that he's still on the loose because he keeps somehow slipping away?!

Okay, the plot twist about Grovyle being good all along? That was well done. The plot twist about Dusknoir being bad all along? Excellent. The plot twist about your player character being Grovyle's former human partner? Icing on the cake. Darkrai being responsible for everything in the game? A cheap thin air-pull that would be more at home in some inexperienced, stuck-up Mary Sue author's bottom-of-the-barrel fanfiction.

Let me tell you something: in _The Legend of Korra_, Vaatu may be the spirit of Darkness and Chaos, but despite that basically making him the root of all evil in the Avatarverse, he's not the cause of every problem the world faced. The Hundred-Year War? That was all the Fire Nation's doing. The Anti-Bending movement? The Equalists were behind that one. The plan to make anarchy the way of life? That was all the Order of the Red Lotus. The plan to conquer the Earth Kingdom? Masterminded by Earth Emperor Kuvira. Notice something about those events? Simple: Vaatu had nothing to do with _any_ of that! The only thing he was responsible for in the show was the dark spirits going crazy during Book 2, being as it was that time of the world's history for all that craziness to happen. But all the other problems? All caused by terrible people. That way, Vaatu's defeat at the hands of both Avatars who fought him in their respective lifetimes ends up not being rendered totally meaningless. The root of all evil is not the world's only evil! That's the entire point! There can't be just one singular cause of every possible problem! Sure, someone or something can start it off, but then other factors come along and make it all worse!

The point is, there can't just be one singular cause of a problem, nor can there be one singular solution to it. And the fact that _Explorers of Sky_ made Darkrai out to be the cause of everything wrong is what makes him a Villain Sue. Darkrai is my pick for the worst Pokemon villain ever conceived. Actually, no, I'm going further than that: he's in my top five worst villains ever conceived in all of fiction. Darkrai, go back to the bottom of the fanfiction barrel where you belong. Why you're so popular, I won't ever understand. Why you're considered one of the series' best villains confuses me. Why even _I_ held you up to a pedestal of how a villain should be is a testament to what a stupid, naïve moron I was when I wrote the Hope and Faith trilogy! If I fall into any of the writing traps I just lambasted again with my current story _Planes of Existence_, I will permanently retire from writing.

* * *

So, that totals out to five positives and four negatives that I see in _Explorers of Sky_. Out of all the things I consider to be overrated, it's the one I enjoy the most, even if I don't actually enjoy playing it.

Although, I sometimes wonder why I thought it was a good idea to set my first three stories in that world. There's no way I could've lived up to the game's legacy. I had no chance to. I should've just did what I'm doing in _Planes of Existence_ from the beginning; making a world of my own with no prior events from other media, making all the characters and locations from the ground up.

But, would I have known how to do all that in a satisfactory way if I hadn't written the Hope and Faith trilogy?

To be honest, I likely wouldn't have.

So, no, I _don't_ regret writing the Hope and Faith trilogy. I regret some of the writing choices I made, but I don't regret anything else about it, least of all that I even did it at all. The whole thing was a learning experience, after all. Everything I know about writing was learned as I wrote the trilogy, along with the reviews I got, as well as _The Angry Bug Show_'s review on the first of the trilogy. So I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with the trilogy, this journal, and to those reading my current story. Oh, and apologies for any part of this entry that offended anyone.

* * *

_Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is copyright property of Nintendo and Spike Chunsoft. The Legend of Korra is property of Nickelodeon and Viacom.  
_


	40. June 26, 2015 - A Landmark Decision

June 26, 2015 - A Landmark Decision

* * *

As some of you may know, the United States Supreme Court has decided that it's legal for homosexual people to marry in any state. How do I feel about this?

Ecstatic.

It's always nice to see rights given to a group of people who once didn't have much of it in this country. Believe me, if I grew up in the 1960s, I'd be saying the exact same thing about ethnic minorities being given Civil Rights.

However, just like how the Civil Rights ruling didn't completely remove racism from society, I don't see today's ruling in favor of gay marriage magically erasing homophobia from society. There will always be a share of people who will still look at homosexuality as being unnatural. I'm not going to try to change their minds, but I will hope that those kinds of feelings won't inspire rash real-life actions.

Personally, this decision doesn't affect me, being as I'm not gay. As I am asexual (meaning that I don't prefer anyone, male or female), no marriage law affects me in any way. Despite that I'm not capable of non-platonic love, that doesn't mean I'm not capable of friendship. I can be (and am) friends with anyone, even if their views are different from mine. So even if anyone reading this disagrees with the Supreme Court's decision, that won't affect our friendship.

And one final thing: I recommend reading Cracked's article titled "a 30-second Guide to How the Gay Marriage Ruling Affects You."


	41. July 3, 2015 - AAAALLLLVVVVIIIINNNN!

July 3, 2015 – AAAALLLLLLLVVVVVIIIIINNNNNNN!

* * *

As some of you know, thatdragonwiththetophat dot com has been writing a rather marvelous story titled "The Absol Danseuse." I enjoy every word of it. And I feel no shame in plugging it here.

And just hours ago (as of when I wrote this entry), Keldeo the Critic and Meloetta the Chick gave a list of their 11 favorite Pokémon songs. It was a well-made list, even if I think number 5 on their list is one of the most ear-sodomizing pieces of trash that thinks it's music.

Bottom line, it seems we're on a bit of a music kick. Too bad it'll be over soon. Maybe. But if so, let me indulge in it by reviewing a show that revolves around it.

Yep, it's time for me to discuss "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

At first I thought I'd do a list of my favorite songs from this show, but as that list of Pokémon songs came out so recently, I'm going to avoid a possible "stop riding my proverbial coattails" cry by saving that list for later. And yes, Keldeo, I know you wouldn't actually do that. Besides, this show has more to it than just music, even if music is its most memorable aspect.

I'll start where I always start: with the characters. And this one's a bit of a doozy, to be honest. The reason being that while Simon and Theodore are good kids and likable characters, Alvin isn't as much. Alvin is a rather impulsive kid, always coming up with crazy schemes to get what he wants, and usually failing and receiving the ever-familiar disapproving shout of "AAAALLLLVVVVIIIINNNN!" from Dave. In fact, I think my caretaker would've forbid me from watching this show because of how he acts. Alvin really is a terrible role model. I don't hate him, but I can't say I like him all that much. It's actually Simon and Theodore I like the most out of the boys. And Dave, too. It really can't be easy living with such a rambunctious problem child. Although I wish Simon and Theodore would stand up to Alvin more; it is kinda sad to see them constantly cave into Alvin's insistence. Oh, well; at least Alvin gets comeuppance most of the time, and rewarded on the rare occasions he genuinely acts good.  
Simon doesn't really leave much of an impression other than that he's just the usual "smart" archetype seen in lots of cartoons. Same with Theodore, except replace "smart" with "glutton." And despite being angry a lot (and also a bit put-upon; though in the case of anger, I'd blame that on Alvin), Dave really is a good father to the boys.

As for the Chipettes, I have to admit that's another shortcoming of the show. As you just read, I explained my thoughts on the Chipmunks. Well, since you read that, you also know my thoughts on the Chipettes. Seriously, they are _that_ similar to the boys. They're one of the most egregious cases of Rule 63 I've ever seen. The only (and I do mean _only_) difference between them is their adoptive mother, Miss Miller. She's nothing like Dave at all.

There's not really a point in evaluating the show's story, as this is a slice-of-life show.

By far, the show's strongest point is its music. After all, the Chipmunks and Chipettes are cover bands. The main defining aspect of this show (and the franchise in general) is high voices. See, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. (son of Ross Bagdasarian, the original creator of the Chipmunks) and his wife Janice Karman sing the songs themselves (Ross as the boys and Janice as the girls), and then pitch their voices up to sound high-pitched and squeaky. And in doing so, a cover of a popular song is made. And there were lots of them in this show. Now, I'll be honest; I'm _very_ out of touch when it comes to music, and that causes me to think some songs are newer than they actually are. Case in point: when watching the episode "My Pharaoh Lady," a cover of The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian" started playing during that episode's climax. Me being the out-of-touch-with-music fool that I am, I had thought that song had to have been written at least five years ago. Needless to say, I was wrong. Oh, and on that note, another surprise came from the fact that none of that song's lyrics were altered to be kid-friendly (granted, it doesn't have any more than about two family-unfriendly lyrics, but still). It kept the following lines (I'll bold the parts in question), much to my surprise:

_All the bazaar men by the Nile  
They got the money on a bet  
Gold crocodiles (oh whey oh)  
__**They snap their teeth on your cigarette**___

_**Foreign types with the hookah pipes say**__  
Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh  
Walk like an Egyptian_

Yep, a drug reference made it into this show!

But anyway, the show's music is definitely its strongest point.

And that's really all I can say about this show. It's not really a standout, but it would still be some fun to watch.

Now, _The Chipmunk Adventure_ on the other hand…

* * *

_"__Alvin and the Chipmunks" is property of Bagdasarian Productions. "Walk Like an Egyptian" is property of The Bangles._

**A/N: To Imperator Justinian, if he's reading this: after I review "The Chipmunk Adventure", the review you requested of me will be next. You've waited too long for it, and I apologize.**


	42. July 13, 2015 - Nintendo Lost its CEO

July 13, 2015 - Nintendo's CEO Passed Away

* * *

This is fairly new news, but it will never be a small amount of shocking. Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo, died on June 11, 2015. The cause was a bile duct tumor (which he was seeking treatment for during E3, hence why he was absent from the event).

He was the first Nintendo CEO to not be in any way related to the Yamauchi family (in fact, Hiroshi Yamauchi, the previous CEO, died on September 19, 2013), and started out as one of the company's top programmers. The Pokemon fandom knows him best for being able to clear a path in Gen 2's data for Kanto to fit into by way of data compression. And also for porting Pokemon's battle code to the N64 for the Pokemon Stadium games. The Angry Bug can tell you more about that.

I'd like to share the achievement that impressed me the most.

I have a soft spot for EarthBound, being as it introduced me to traditional RPGs (as great as Pokemon is, I don't consider it traditional; and that's not a bad thing). As it turned out, Iwata basically rescued that game from a possible vaporware status. When the initial programming run came to a stop when it got to be too much, Iwata came in and rebuilt it all. This excerpt from DigitalSpy's list of his defining moments says this about it...

* * *

_Iwata was a proficient programmer who wasn't afraid to overhaul games to make them better. With 1994 SNES title Earthbound, he reworked the entire game to get it released in a fraction of the time. "If we used what you have now and fix it, it will take 2 years," he told lead designer Shigesato Itoi at the time. "If we can start fresh, it'll take half a year." And so he did._

* * *

And so EarthBound was made in 75% less time than the projected bug-fixing session would've taken. Kudos, Iwata, for rescuing a great game.

And speaking of Itoi, he had this to say about Iwata's passing...

* * *

_"No matter the farewell, I think the most appropriate thing to say is "we"ll meet again." We are friends so we"ll see each other again. There is nothing strange about saying it. Yeah. We'll meet again._

_Even if you didn't have the chance to put into words how sudden it was going to be, how far you'd be traveling, or how you went much earlier than expected, I know you went wearing your best._

_You always put yourself second to others no matter what, helping anyone who needed it whenever they needed it. You were that kind of friend. Although you may have been a little selfish for the first time ever by taking this journey._

_The truth is though that I still don't believe any of it. I feel like I am going to receive a message from you inviting me out to eat at any moment. I wouldn't mind if you were to ask me like always if I had some free time. If you did, I'd ask you as well._

_Still, "we'll meet again." It would be great to hear from you whenever and wherever; I'll being calling to you too. I'll call if I have something to discuss or I want to tell you a great new idea I've had._

_We'll meet again._

_Then again, you're here with me now."_

* * *

As he's currently a writer (which always was his true profession), he has quite a way with words. My interpretation of this is that he knows that they'll meet again when his time also comes.

That's heartwarming in a tragic way.

* * *

And by the way, in a move totally defying what any other CEO in the world would do, he cut his own salary in half when the Wii U ended up with such poor sales that the company lost money on it. This was to keep from having to do a massive amount of layoffs.

Like all Nintendo fans, I will miss Iwata-san.

But I don't fear Nintendo's future. Sometime down the line, I think Nintendo will end up with another capable CEO. There will certainly be no replacing someone as talented as Iwata, but I see Nintendo having a good future nonetheless. Iwata has left the company in good hands.

Go in peace.

* * *

Sources:

_DigitalSpy - Remembering Satoru Iwata: 6 defining moments from the Nintendo president's career_

_Nintendoeverything - EarthBound creator Shigesato Itoi on Iwata's passing_


	43. July 23, 2015 - World of Imagination

July 23, 2015 – A World of Pure Imagination

* * *

Okay, I was originally planning to review _The Chipmunk Adventure_, but I decided not to. That's because I'd just be repeating my review of the show it's based on. As much as I love that movie and consider it the best entry in the _Alvin and the Chipmunks_ franchise, I'll admit it's much the same as watching four consecutive episodes. It's about the same amount of time as that many episodes, for one thing, but also, it really doesn't do anything the show didn't already do, apart from having a more involved plotline. But one definite standout feature that movie has is a song midway through by the name of _Girls of Rock and Roll_. It's my favorite music battle ever. And that's basically my review of _The Chipmunk Adventure_. I'd recommend it.

Now then, onto the focal point of this entry.

Ever wonder why I no longer take requests? That's simple: it takes me for-damn-ever to get around to fulfilling them, especially if it's a show I've never seen before. Or, in this case, if it's a show I haven't seen too much of. Case in point, _Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends_. I've kept Imperator Justinian waiting far too long for this review. No more waiting; I'm doing it now.

* * *

First off, I have to admit, I was happy to have seen as little of the show as I'd seen before now. It was one of the last good shows that either Craig McCracken or Lauren Faust had to do with before you-know-what-show was made. Thankfully, they got back on track after that. But anyway, time to take a look at this one.

I'll just say this now: whenever I'm reviewing a slice-of-life show, I won't be evaluating its story. I will instead just parrot its general premise and say something about it. Anyway, this is a show where imaginary friends can become real, and they're placed in the eponymous home when their thinkers outgrow them. One imaginary friend, one Bloo by name, is decreed to not ever be adopted so long as his thinker Mac visits the home once per day. That's a creative premise, to say the least.

It's too bad the premise couldn't save this show. I don't find it to be as good as many other people do, despite what I called it two paragraphs ago. Sure, it has a creative central premise and lots of funny moments and memorable characters, but I just don't enjoy it all that much. I think it's because my main problem with the show is a very significant one. Yep, it's _another_ of those cases for me, but that's how it is. The problem is Bloo.

Why is it both Craig and Lauren had such trouble creating consistently likable characters? Yeah, I don't need protagonists to be 100% pure in their actions, I know that. I know it takes more than being an incorruptible saint to be an interesting protagonist. That's why the Nostalgia Critic liked Wolper's Charlie Bucket and hated Burton's Charlie Bucket; Burton's version of the Charlie Bucket character was a Gary Stu. However, all I'm asking is that whenever a protagonist messes up, it's not on a significantly grand scale. And even if it is on a grand scale, it should be made up for somehow (I'm of the mind that slice-of-life shows are thoroughly incapable of doing this, to be honest). I wouldn't hate a character if it was an isolated incident, which is how I can bring myself to still like Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup despite that infamous episode ending with them beating up Rainbow the Clown after he thanks them for breaking him out of his Mr. Mime (no relation to the Pokémon) brainwashing.

Bloo has been a very bad boy. He's running neck-and-neck with the entire Mane Six as being my least favorite animated character. Remember most of that stuff I said about Alvin Seville one review ago? Well, that can be applied to Bloo as well. He's selfish, acts on ulterior motives, has an unbearable ego, and he gets worse as the show goes on. Remember when Bloo planned a really humiliating and mean-spirited surprise party for Mac, and it turned out he somehow convinced the others to help with it? And need I even mention "Everyone Knows It's Bendy" (although Bendy had as much to do with it as Bloo did), an episode so terrible that Lauren Faust (who wrote it) apologized for it? Side note: Faust, can you also apologize for all of MLPFiM? Yeah, those are my standout episodes that made me decide not to continue watching it. It's just an unpleasant show.

Sorry, but I'm stopping this review here before I piss myself off. Bottom line: _Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends_ is a show that had lots of potential, but turned into an unpleasant mess.

* * *

_Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is property of Craig McCracken, Lauren Faust, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros._


	44. July 30, 2015 - 日本語で

July 30, 2015 - An Ambition of Mine

* * *

こんにちは、 みんなさんです！ わたしは リュセイ テイラーさんです。 「ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 物質界と霊界」をよんでくれありがとうございました。 わたしはえいごをぼごです。 わたしはいまにほんごをならっていますよ。 あなたはしってですね？ わたしのにほんごはいいですか？

* * *

Yeah, as you can see, I am able to speak (or rather, type) a very slight bit of Japanese. I'm resuming learning the language for a few reasons. One big one being that I wish to write my "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Planes of Existence" story in Japanese. Because, well, why should any English-speaking country get to read it? In fact, some of the best fanfiction ought to get dubbed, too. I'd love to see a foreign dub of "Sylvia the Sylveon" (my favorite Pokefic), for instance.

On that note, does anyone know a good source to learn it? One that doesn't cost any money (this applies to online sources; I don't mind paying for physical learning tools)? I don't care how long it takes me, because I honestly believe there's no fast way to learn a language (my four consecutive semesters in Japanese class should attest to that; and yes, those classes were quite useful). There's no easy way to learn a language, either. But I'll still do it. Got any suggestions?

And by the way, I intended that line of Japanese to say the following (I can't promise it's accurate; I'm still a rookie. Note: "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - The Material World and the Spirit World" is the title I've settled on for this project):

* * *

_"Hello, everyone! I am Ryusei Taylor. Thank you for reading "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - The Material World and the Spirit World." English is my native language. I'm currently learning Japanese. But you know that, right? Is my Japanese any good? _

* * *

If anyone knows Japanese, can you let me know how I did?

And don't worry. I'll finish the story in English before I start dubbing it into Japanese. The next story arc should be coming out sometime in Autumn. This is Ryu Taylor, ending this entry.


	45. August 11, 2015 - My Ears are Recovering

August 11, 2015 – My Ears are Now Recovering

* * *

Yeah, this will be a quick entry, because I'm on my way to the vet to get my ears checked. So, I'm going to list the top five cartoon voices that hurt them the most. Sorry for the lack of buildup.

**5\. Whitey, ****_Eight Crazy Nights_**

I remember when this movie was playing on TV one night long ago, about a year or so after it originally came out. I remember thinking it was awful, even back then. I wasn't able to finish watching it. There are many reasons I hated what I saw, Whitey's voice being one of them. Honestly, how Adam Sandler maintained such a painfully contrived vocal pitch is an eternal mystery, almost as mysterious as how any of the higher-ups in charge of production on this film found it to be acceptable.

**4\. Etemon, ****_Digimon Adventure_**

No matter what language this show is viewed in, one thing is consistent: Etemon is an obnoxious impersonator of a musician of some kind. In the original Japanese, he acts like an obnoxious pop star. In the English dub, he acts like an obnoxious Elvis impersonator. I'm sure many other dubs have him acting as an obnoxious music star of some kind local to them. And yes, it annoyed me greatly. Good thing that only kept up for six episodes before an awesome final battle that ended that arc.

**3\. Naruto, ****_Naruto_**

Okay, I know Naruto is a really popular work, but I don't like it. I never have. For a show claiming to star ninjas, I don't see anything but posers on that show. Not to mention in the few episodes I saw, nothing went anywhere. And also that it derived _way_ too much from other animes I like better. And as for the main character? Oh, mercy. Much like the case above, his voice annoyed me no matter what language he was speaking. Seriously, there's only so many times I can handle hearing a top-of-the-lungs "BELIEVE IT!" each episode. And honestly, why does he also have to _act_ as irritating as he sounds?!

**2\. Pinkie Pie, ****_My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic_**

You know, maybe hearing "BELIEVE IT!" constantly isn't so bad. At least, compared to hearing the so-called bearer of the Element of Laughter spout out one-liners that even the worst 4kids dubs would boo off of the stage (humor visited Equestria one day and died there. Cause of death: "...and then I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you CRAZ'—oh."). And yet, people think that's funny, let alone bearable coming from a squeaky voice that belongs in the bottom of the infants' show barrel? It's especially staggering as Andrea Libman really is a great actress, so why would DHX instruct her to utilize absolutely none of her talent?! Same goes for Shannon Chan-Kent. Seriously, what wastes of great talents. It made me happy to see Pinkie's mouth get deleted in "Magic Duel", and sad to see it restored at the end of the same episode.

**1\. Nyarth, ****_Pokemon_**** (Japanese version only)**

No, Pinkie Pie is actually _not_ number 1 on this list. Surprised? Well, you see, Nyarth (Meowth's Japanese name; I'm calling him that here only because everything I am about to say applies only to the original Japanese version) is an anomaly. His voice is so high-pitched, so scratchy, so squeaky, and so full of that really fucking annoying "nya" verbal tic, that unlike every other example I listed here, _this_ one causes me actual physical pain. For a long time, I'd seen online Pokemon fan groups (such as the Bulbagarden forums, which I recently joined) build the Japanese version of the Pokemon anime up to be some kind of national treasure. Never mind that I don't think that's the case. I mean, I like it, but it's no _Avatar – the Last Airbender_. And of course, complaints about the English dub ran rampant. So, when I saw the so-called superior Japanese version, I enjoyed it just fine until Nyarth started speaking. I literally can't even listen to it. I wish I was kidding when I saw that it makes the Japanese version of the Pokemon anime unwatchable without a mute button. That's right, I have to mute my computer when I watch a Japanese episode for the good of my eardrums. His English dub voice is also annoying, but in a charming way. His Japanese voice is pain in the form of a sound. It could be used as a torture weapon.

* * *

So, there you have it. Now, if you'll excuse me, the vet is currently inspecting my ear canal.


	46. August 20, 2015 - A Random PSMD Thought

August 20, 2015 – A Random PSMD Thought

* * *

Let me set this up first.

Think back to 2000, when the Nintendo Gamecube was first announced. At the Spaceworld convention that same year, a really awesome-looking Legend of Zelda tech demo was shown. For a while after that, fans everywhere thought they'd be getting a Zelda game like that. I mean, really, with a demo like that, in which Link and Ganondorf have an epic sword duel, what could possibly go wrong?

And then in 2002, the first trailer of _The Legend of Zelda – the Wind Waker_ was revealed, and instead of the amazing cutting-edge graphics the Spaceworld demo promised, a cartoony game was revealed instead.

Oh, you think Twilicorn was a controversy? That was a welcoming reception compared to the outrage toward _The Wind Waker_'s first trailer. So much graphics-judging went on, and the game ended up being labeled as kiddie garbage before it even came out.

And once it did come out, almost all those naysayers' minds were changed. Almost. Besides, the game got lots of critical acclaim. For crying out loud, it was close to catching up to _Ocarina of Time_'s high accolades!

But still, there were naysayers. Then in 2004, another new Zelda game was revealed; this was the game that would become _The Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess_. Its release ended up being delayed to 2006, which only served to give the game more hype. But judging by its prerelease publicity, it was the dream-come-true that _The Wind Waker_'s doubters always wanted: a super-realistic-looking adventure in a giant fantasy land, epic battles on foot and on horseback, powerful magic— really, what could possibly go wrong?

In late 2006, the game was released as a launch title for the brand-new Nintendo Wii. One month later, it was released for the Nintendo Gamecube, the system it was originally for. And the reception toward the game was mixed. For lots of fans, it was every bit as awesome as the hype made it seem. But for many others, it was a hollow experience, a giant world that wasn't filled to half its capacity with stuff to do.

But the weirdest thing is that _The Wind Waker_ suddenly got a big popularity surge. I can't say for certain why, but it sure looked like spite toward _Twilight Princess_.

Now that I've set this up, time to get to the topic on hand.

_Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon_. Now, imagine if, by some curse, the game ends up flopping. Not critically, mind you, because official video game critics have never given a PMD game a score higher than 5.0. What I mean is, what if it were to be hated by the fans, too? Would that mean _Gates to Infinity_ would suddenly lose its infamous reputation and instead become a new coveted standard? Would _PSMD_ become the new punching bag among PMD fans while _Gates_ gets endlessly praised like _Explorers of Sky_? Probably. Probably not.

Now, as you know, I love _Gates_, and I'd love it to get more love and attention. But not at the expense of another game. I'm just being hypothetical.


	47. September 6, 2015 - A Vivid PMD Memory

September 6, 2015 - A Vivid PMD Memory of Mine

* * *

It's been about nine years since the original Rescue Team games were released, and yet I still remember this moment. So, I will now share that moment.

Back in 2006, I didn't know what the Roguelike genre was. So when I heard the announcement of a game called "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon," my mind instantly went to The Legend of Zelda. I was thinking it would be a top-down Action-Adventure type of game along the lines of Zelda - A Link to the Past or any of the Game Boy games (Link's Awakening, the Oracle games, and The Minish Cap). And then when I played it, I found that wasn't the case at all. Of course, it did nothing to my enjoyment of it.

I still anticipate the day a Zelda-esque Action-Adventure Pokemon game comes out. But in accordance to that, there's always PokePark.


	48. September 15, 2015 - Go, Speed Racer!

September 15, 2015 – Go, Speed Racer!

* * *

I'll level with all of you reading this: it took me a while to come up with the proper words that would adequately describe _Speed Racer_, and even now, I'm not sure if anything I say here about it will be good enough. But here goes anyway.

It is the most enjoyably stupid show I've ever seen in my life.

I know Japanese anime from the 1960s aren't nearly as refined as anime nowadays, but even then, that decade turned out some really memorable and substantial shows. _Kimba the White Lion_ is my second-favorite anime, for goodness' sake. I might do a review on that one in the future, but for now, I'm talking about the other show 60s kids remember the most.

Cars are cool. I think that goes without saying. So how about a show about a teenage racecar driver who competes in races around the world and brings down criminals in the process? And also, what if said racer had a car equipped with special functions for certain circumstances, like, say, auto jacks for propping the car up for repairs (when not driving) and for jumping (when driving), grip tires, rotary saws for cutting down trees, retractable bulletproof glass roof, super-headlights, underwater booster, periscope, and oxygen tank, and a homing robot? That is the Mach 5, the fastest racing car in the world, and the car that's as instantly recognizable as its driver, Speed Racer.

That's the show's general premise. From reading that, it's easy to see how it appealed to those who like action shows, since that is what this show is.

But really, why is this show so stupid?

Well, I think a lot of cheesy charm got added to it by the English dub. Of course, this show is just as stupid in Japanese as it is in English, but the English version is especially memorable because of the following things: absolutely everyone talks like Micro Machines commercials (every _Speed Racer_ parody ever made has a field day with this), the narrator is prone to redundant dialogue as well as reminding us in every single episode that Racer X is Rex Racer in disguise, and the voice acting is over-the-top and loud. But that's just the dub. The other aspects of the show's stupidity are in the animation itself: lip-syncing is legendarily awful (it matches up to no language I know of), the expressions are as over-the-top as the acting, and the action is so totally implausible it's hysterical (check out the first four minutes of "The Great Car Wrestling Match"; that had me in absolute hysterics).

Believe it or not, until _Sailor Moon_ and _Pokemon_ got dubbed, this was the show that defined anime in America. It was quite a phenomenon.

And really, that's about all I can say about _Speed Racer_. I cannot recommend this show enough. Its stupidity has to be seen to be believed. I say this show is not "so bad it's good"; I say it's "so terrible it's awesome."


	49. November 14, 2015 - An Apology

November 14, 2015 - An Apology

* * *

Those of you who follow my story "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Planes of Existence" know that I've written out the current story arc completely, putting up a new chapter every Friday at 12:00AM Pacific Time. Yesterday was no exception. Chapter 15, titled "Ceremony in Bihda" was submitted yesterday, November 13, 2015.

So why is this entry labeled "An Apology"? Well, for a very big reason. I have no choice but to spoil a plot point that happens in that chapter, because it factors into this. In that chapter, an antagonist from this arc attempted to assassinate Queen Mkono of Swadfrieg by tossing a live grenade at her during a televised event where she regains her spot as the Queen, being spared only by her quick thinking and action (which in turn prevented any character from dying, rendering the attack a 100% failure). I wrote that part intending to establish the villain's aversion to civilization.

But then on that same Friday night, ISIS made an attack on Paris, France. And unfortunately, theirs was more successful.

Yes, it was a freak coincidence, but I still feel awful about it. The victims of the attack have my condolences, and anyone who may have had the justified reaction of "too soon, Ryu!" has my apologies.

So, until further notice, I have removed Chapter 15 and I'm also putting the story on a two-week hiatus.

My very greatest apologies.


	50. Planes of Existence December Plan

So, here's my "Planes of Existence" plan for December.

12-4-15: Chapter 17

12-11-15: Chapter 18

12-18-15: Chapter 19

12-30-15: Chapter 20

So, what will I be doing on Christmas (which is a Friday this year)? Well, that will be the day I answer questions. Yep, I'm opening up an AMA right here and now, and it will be effective until Christmas Eve. So, ask me or the cast of "Planes of Existence" anything that comes to mind.


	51. December 25, 2015 - Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2015 - Merry Christmas!

* * *

Yep, as the title says, Merry Christmas! How's yours going? Mine's going great. I just finished uploading my first Mario Maker course. Try it out here: DD13-0000-0137-5F9A.

Oh, and I got lots more stuff including Tri-Force Heroes, the Legends of Localization Book on The Legend of Zelda, a cute Treecko plush, MAD Magazine's final issue of 2015 in which they do their annual countdown of the year's dumbest events, etc.

By the way, I'll be delaying the Q&amp;A answering to the 27th (I got no questions so far, but I have a backup plan for in case I got no questions). Chapter 20 will still come out on the 30th.

Merry Christmas to my pals on this site: DragonNiro, PlasmaShinx77, MatthaisUnidostres, thatdragonwiththetophat, Imperator Justinian, Myraah, and Virizion 2.6!


	52. December 27, 2015 - PoE AMA Contingency

December 27, 2015 - Contingency

* * *

Well, I ended up not getting any questions. But that's okay, because I had a plan for just in case that happens. Time for some more behind-the-scenes things about "Planes of Existence".

First off, Riptide. As I've pointed out many times before, Riptide is based on a DeviantART PMD RP group of the same name. It was created by a good DA friend of mine by the name of cedar-bastion. I got the idea for this crossover when I pitched Dracocrochet (another member of that group) an idea about Neera fighting Poisonpore. I had no intention of making that canon, but it did get me thinking about a plotline involving a popular TV show from another country that would get a foreign dub. So I approached Cedar with the idea and he said yes, and so, I got a plotline out of it. Thanks once again, Cedar!

Second, the varying appearances of the Pokemon in this story. To be honest, I got that idea from that "breeds" meme that went around earlier this year. Except, instead of physical differences based on breeds, I decided to make ethnic differences between Pokemon (example: Morikain, a Treecko from Shizazoto having a slightly longer tail, and said tail isn't split down the middle).

Third, a subject I addressed before (in a DA journal, which at one point said on this subject: "I guess now's a good time to address all the rear-end humor in my story. The reason there's so much of it is the same reason why Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, and all the old-school animators did it (and some still do today): it's just funny. Nothing more to it than that. I've noticed that physical comedy usually aims there, so I just followed suit. Plus, really, Blessing does have it coming to her."): butt humor. Like I said in that journal entry, it's only done because it's generally hilarious. I'm only bringing this up again because, as you all know if you've been keeping up, there's been quite a bit of it in this current arc. So, I'm going to elaborate further on that: all the old works I cited in that other entry tended to have such things happen for comedy (of course), but also as a form of comeuppance. It usually never happens to someone who doesn't deserve it, though there've been exceptions. Blessing is very vain about her looks (in fact, looking back, her bio completely lied about that part) and is usually not too nice, so that's why she tends to deserve it. And those of you who read Chapter 19 know why Kushi ended up deserving all the pain that was administered to his wretched butt (and to a lesser extent, Sickle).

Fourth (and this one ties into the first item on this list), Hot Air. I gotta be honest, this might get ugly, as the inspiration for this character came from someone I cannot speak kindly of. I based him off of Dogasu, the webmaster of a Pokemon fansite called Dogasu's Backpack. It's a site that reveals what changed when the Pokemon anime was dubbed; script rewrites, content edits, missing episodes, etc. I do like the info I learn from it (and it keeps me from having to watch the original Japanese version of the Pokemon anime, which I came to hate after seeing about seventeen or so episodes), but the problem I have is with the webmaster himself. Like many anime sub/raw purists who run those kinds of sites (DBZ Uncensored, Digimon Uncensored, Sailor Moon Uncensored, etc.), he's an arrogant dick about it. I used to be able to give him credit for being at least a little bit better than those other ones, being as he can comprehend and accept that people can like anime dubs. But when he published his senseless tirade against the dub of the Diancie movie, he sunk to the level of those other blowhards. However, what cemented him as my arch-nemesis on the Bulbagarden Forums was this comment from his post about the April trailer for the Hoopa movie:

"A lot of people online really seem to hate the voice acting which is something I've been trying to tell people for like fifteen years or so but better late than never, right? Recent alleged nastiness involving a certain voice director means that there's actually a pretty decent chance that the voice will change when the movie comes out so people might get their wish for a voice actor change after all. Only time will tell!"

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm as mad at Tom Wayland for raping that poor lady as any decent human being should be, and I acknowledge that he was in so much more wrong than what I'm about to elaborate on. But it takes a special kind of heartlessness to exploit that terrible incident to take a cheap shot at a show one doesn't like. I mean, I hate "My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic", but if some tragic incident were to happen in regards to that show (like, say, if a VA or a writer died), I'd never exploit it to take an underhanded swing at it. The thing that really gets me, though, is that Dogasu totally got away with making this comment. Eric Stuart didn't when he did something eerily similar about that terror threat issued to the 2015 PWC's (and again, I'm not letting Eric Stuart off the hook for that, either). So why was it okay for some pissant purist to make such a heartless comment, but not for Stuart? To me, no matter who says such exploitative things, it's not okay. Plus, I was open to the idea that Dogasu never intended it to sound that way, but thus far, I haven't been corrected on that. So, as far as it looks, he fully did mean that. Which is why I believe he doesn't deserve the respect people give him.

So, that all served to motivate me to create the character known as Hot Air. Although he technically is meant to be an unflattering caricature of anime purists and weeaboos, I modeled him mainly after Dogasu (all the way down to making him a Koffing, which is what the Pokemon species Dogasu/Dogars is called in the English version of Pokemon), being as he's basically a living weeaboo stereotype (a quick dig into his post history on Bulbagarden will tell you that; for crying out loud, he once complained about Pokemon name changes by saying "Mijumaru is Mijumaru, not whatever the hell NoA comes up with" (Mijumaru is Oshawott's Japanese name, btw), which is just as hilariously senseless as saying "'dog' is 'dog', not whatever Germany calls it"). And also because I just wanted to stick it to him. I do know he doesn't read fanfiction, and he honestly doesn't care about petty stuff like this, even if he knew about it (although the Bulbagarden mods have his back, for some reason, which is why I'm no longer publishing "Planes of Existence" on there).

Admittedly, it is pathetic that a character in my story came about because I felt like sticking it to some asshole online. But don't worry; this is not going to be some meaningless subplot. It will work to the story's advantage somehow.

Well, that was a mouthful. But now, the last item on this list: the power loyalties. I do know it's not really a novel idea that light can be things other than good and dark can be things other than bad. But the thing is is that I just really like that idea. It also places uncertainty on the loyalty of whoever has the power to use either of those elements. So there.

And so, there's some trivia for you. Chapter 20 will launch on the 30th, and after that, the story will be going on another hiatus until about February or so. There'll be a new update schedule when it comes back, too. See you then!


End file.
